Jonathan Gutierrez - Senior Consultant, Financial Crimes (KPMG Canada)
Jonathan Gutierrez
Senior Consultant, Financial Crimes I KPMG Canada
LinkedIn :https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-gutierrez-cams-502314178/
In our Certified Gaming Compliance Specialist (CGCS) Spotlight, we showcase some of the individuals who have successfully completed the rigorous requirements of our certification program.
Describe your experience working in the gaming industry. What is your current role in the Casino Gaming Industry?
While specializing in gaming within the consulting industry, I provide AML audit reviews on casinos and gaming corporations. In conjunction with AML laws and regulations, I execute effectiveness and design testing within the casino’s policies and procedures.
This also includes employee interviews and on-site inspections of the overall gaming operations to determine if any opportunities are identified in reference to regulatory standards.
What initially drew you to pursue a career in gaming compliance?
My overall interest within AML and ATF drove me towards the Casino/Gaming sector. My initial expertise was focused on banks and money service businesses however, I wanted to expand my focus on other types of financial institutions. Once stepping into a casino as an auditor and witnessing how quickly decisions need to be made also peaked my interest to learn and pursue more opportunities within this industry.
What prompted you to pursue the Certified Gaming Compliance Specialist (CGCS) certification?
Initially, this certification was recommended to me by my manager as a credible guide that would provide effective compliance measures within the casino/gaming sector.
My manager had taken this course prior and made mention that this would be a great program to utilize as it also offered role-specific training, webinars by industry leaders, and referenced key topic articles. Due to my limited experience this firsthand intelligence was essential in my learning and the topic articles were a great tool to stay aligned with industry updates.
What aspects of the certification program do you find particularly valuable or impactful in your professional practice?
Personally, having the benefit of learning about casinos and its operators was essential for me, as I was unaware of the nuances when coming into this sector.
The learning objectives were strategically implemented as the program provided a great way of reviewing what AML is and the requirements of combating money laundering from a casino operations perspective. Also, the specifics relating to fraud, match fixing, detecting suspicious movements and compiling risks were detailed.
How has obtaining the Certified Gaming Compliance Specialist (CGCS) certification enhanced your professional capabilities and career prospects?
Having this certification has given me the credibility to be part of teams dedicated to audit review work. By utilizing the obtained knowledge from this program, I have conducted audit reviews on multiple casinos with effective results.
The completion of this program has been material in my effectiveness reviews of casinos and overall adjudications of AML policies. Relying on my knowledge and experience from other financial institution engagements would not have sufficed and I have benefited greatly from completing this program.
In what ways has the Certified Gaming Compliance Specialist (CGCS) certification enabled you to contribute to ensuring compliance within your organization?
My organization is not within the casino/compliance industry however, having my CGCS, has made me a subject matter expert on this topic and allowed me to provide my expertise to organizations that are within the gaming sector.
How do you incorporate the knowledge and skills gained from the certification into your daily work?
During an audit review it is imperative to review policy, procedures, witness casino operations and employee testimonies to ensure they align with regulatory requirements. The knowledge this program encompasses is beneficial in providing an adequate oversight of this entire process.
Obtaining this certification provides me with the opportunity and tools to help gaming entities and casinos to be effective and highlight the importance as to why the regulatory requirements need to be met, the risks of them not being met, and the recommendations on how to meet them.
What skills or qualities do you believe are essential to be a successful Certified Gaming Compliance Specialist (CGCS)?
The overall understanding of casino role specific training needs to be established. Being familiar with AML regulatory expectations and learning about risks associated with fraud, money laundering/terrorist financing and specific casino/gaming conducted activity is also essential.
Staying up to date with industry standards, regulatory changes/updates and current events and technology advancements is an asset and is critical for me to be successful. The compliance world is frequently emerging and countermeasures will always need to be adapted.
In your opinion, what are the most pressing compliance concerns currently facing the gaming industry?
The cash presence within a casino is always concerning, every transaction will always be a potential placement opportunity. Decisions by casinos are rapidly executed, and measuring all risks associated with the acceptance and payout of cash can be challenging.
The overall acceptance of online gambling and ease at which it can be done (smartphone apps) further highlights AML concerns. KYC measures are often easier to elude versus face-to-face authentication. Online gambling can be a great way to layer and truly being able to authenticate the conductor continues to be challenging.
Cryptocurrency and how it can be utilized in and out of online gaming service providers is a concern that continues to evolve. Being able to trace cryptocurrency at times can be difficult to pinpoint without third-party assistance.