Blockchain Committee Chair Earle Hall of Axes Network Selected for Canada Gaming Standards Association

Posted on: April 8, 2018, 10:30h. 

Last updated on: April 7, 2018, 11:27h.

Casino.org Staff Writer Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming.

The Gaming Standards Association (GSA) of Canada has chosen Earle Hall, CEO of Quebec-based AXES Network, to chair the organization’s new Blockchain Committee. Hall is a global gaming leader and was appointed to usher the GSA into the new era of blockchain technology.

Earle G. Hall elected as first Chairman of the GSA’s Blockchain Committee.
Earle G. Hall speaks at a TEDx event in Quebec in February of 2016. Hall will head up Canada’s GSA Blockchain Committee. (Image: lesinspire.com)

The GSA, celebrating its 20th anniversary, created the Blockchain Committee in early February, and with the addition of its new chairman, is now officially launched.

The group’s self-stated mission is to spur growth and innovation in the gaming industry, and with such a significant commitment to its newest division, it’s clear the GSA is a big believer in what blockchain technology can offer the industry. Blockchains are cryptographically linked and secured data structures, known as records, which are designed to make data modification extremely difficult to implement.

Meet the New Boss

Incoming chairman Hall brings some strong credentials in gaming and technology. He’s presided over the AXES Network since 2014, a company that specializes in cloud-based information management technology for the casino industry.

In that role, Hall has been well-positioned to see how blockchain technology can be best leveraged to shape the future of both online and land-based gambling platforms.

While blockchain has been closely associated with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, its applications are far-reaching, offering the promise of huge steps forward in overall gaming security, as well as the storage and sharing of information.

According to Hall, blockchain will solve a lot of the challenges facing the casino industry.

“Blockchain is the answer to so many of our inefficiencies: it is inherently designed for transparent, secure, and distributed information flow. Blockchain will exponentially increase the potential for collaboration, efficiency, and connectivity.

Data-Sharing Impact

The GSA is confident that blockchain technology will lead to “previously unobtainable levels of transparency.” That would be of interest to regulatory authorities, as more and more states are considering regulating their own online casino options, with Pennsylvania being the latest.

If blockchain is able to offer a safe and secure gaming landscape in which to operate, regulators would presumably be more willing to take the plunge.

The new committee is promising to study technology and offer guidance in the areas where it believes new standards could be developed. The first priorities for the Blockchain Committee will be fields like methods of authentication, external interface compatibility, and the potential for central monitoring systems.

Whether or not Blockchain can truly revolutionize data sharing may be up for debate, but the organization’s commitment to the technology isn’t. This new committee isn’t just a side project for the GSA, it’s a major pledge towards significant structural change.

“(Hall) will lead us into this new realm of technology that will affect every aspect of our evolution,” GSA President Peter DeRaedt asserted.

The charter for the new committee has been approved, and the committee itself was officially launched this week. The group convenes for the first time on April 10 in London.