AML training can be impactful
and genuinely enjoyable.

We believe AML training should do more than inform - it should engage, empower, and yes, even entertain. Our approach is designed to make learning memorable and fun, while still delivering the serious messages that matter. And we’re not alone: recent research supports the power of interactive, real-world training.

Below, you’ll find publications that support our approach and the principles we stand for.

Elephants Don’t Forget: FCA Enforcement Puts ‘Inadequacy of Staff Training’ Under the Microscope

“We know that the ‘true’ cost of compliance is often wholly underestimated. Especially when it comes to the thousands of valuable productive employee hours being unnecessarily wasted on ineffective compliance training regimes; often a series of uninspiring, one-size-fits-all, box-ticking routines that serve to fuel an increase in compliance fatigue, encourages disengagement with required regulatory learning and - crucially - provides no leading, real-time indicators of competency-based risks for the employer.”

“Relying on a single-point-in-time pass mark for staff - after they have sat through a generic e-learning AML module and answered a 10-question quiz at the end (presumably passing with flying colours after a number of re-sits) - does not result in employees - especially new recruits - having sufficient knowledge of relevant regulatory requirements to carry out their roles.”

The Fintech Times – FCA enforcement

Scenario-Based AML Training – Making Compliance Real

"Staff had completed all their required online training modules with perfect scores. Yet they missed obvious red flags in their day‑to‑day work. Why? Because the real world is messier…"

"Experienced professionals disagree about what constitutes suspicious activity. These discussions often reveal gaps in understanding that wouldn’t surface through traditional training."

“Building good scenarios is an art. They need to be complex enough to be realistic but simple enough to be digestible.”

ranjanirangan.com

Anti-Money Laundering Thematic Review

“The inclusion of immersive scenarios - where fee earners are asked to set out what steps they would take in certain situations - will also help to test understanding, keep training more interactive and relevant to a fee earners role.”

“The use of mixed media sources, such as videos, audios and text, will also help to keep training more engaging, particularly to those who learn through visual or auditory means.”

SRA Thematic Review on AML Training

FCA "Dear CEO" Letter – March 5, 2024

"The lack of effectiveness of the training provided to staff has also been evident during interviews with employees, who, in some instances, have demonstrated low levels of Financial Crime awareness.”

FCA Dear CEO Letter – March 2024 (PDF)

Anti-money laundering compliance – what does the FCA expect in 2023

“Firms should make sure that training is effective, robust and commercially relevant. When training is tiresome and unnecessarily onerous, it loses its effect and creates the risk of neglect.”

Ashurst – AML expectations 2023

Digital Games, Design, and Learning: Meta-Analysis (PubMed 2016)

Finding: In K–16 education, digital games significantly enhanced student learning compared to non-game methods (SMD ≈ 0.33). "Augmented" game designs with richer mechanics boosted outcomes further (SMD ≈ 0.34)

(PubMed)

Gamification & Game-Based Learning Meta‑Analysis (Education Research International, 2022)

Finding: Gamification yielded a large effect size (0.85) and game-based learning a moderate-to-large effect (0.54) on learning achievement—both outperforming passive learning

(Wiley Online Library)

Interactive Learning Environments Meta‑Analysis (Science Education & Tech, 2025)

Finding: Game-based learning outperformed conventional instruction, with significant gains in cognitive outcomes (d = 0.674). Enhanced designs with embodied cognition or problem-solving mechanics improved motivation and achievement

(SpringerLink)

Serious Games in Education: Meta‑Analysis (Int'l J. Comp Games Tech, 2019)

Finding: Across 46 studies, serious games enhanced cognitive ability, motivation, and learner satisfaction vs non-game learning. Learners engaged longer and more deeply, even if test score differences varied by context

(Wiley Online Library)

Digital Game-Based STEM Learning: Meta‑Analysis (International Journal of STEM Education, 2023)

Finding: A meta-analysis of 86 studies comparing digital game–based STEM learning (e.g. puzzle, role-playing, simulation games) versus traditional methods found a medium-to-large effect size (g = 0.624), indicating significantly better learning outcomes from game-based approaches.

(SpringerOpen)

Why This MattersStronger retention & performance: Across fields, game-based formats deliver statistically significant cognitive improvement and skill acquisition.

Enhanced motivation and engagement: Learners feel more involved and report higher satisfaction with interactive gameplay over passive formats.

Active decision-making and feedback: Game environments encourage problem-solving, collaboration, and judgement-building—key for AML readiness.

ConclusionThis evidence demonstrates that interactive, game‑based learning consistently outperforms traditional passive training, leading to better retention, skill development, and learner engagement.

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At ScenarioLab, we’ve transformed financial crime education into an immersive, story-driven experience that engages your team.

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