SG Digital and Aristocrat were the big winners at this year’s Global Gaming Awards Las Vegas, scooping two coveted prizes each.
The fifth installment of the awards was held at a luncheon ceremony at the Sands Expo Convention Center, kicking off the G2E show.
SG Digital was the winner in the Digital Industry Supplier category, as well as in the Digital Product category for its OpenBet sports betting platform.
Aristocrat was victorious in the Land-Based Product category for its Lightning Link game and the Slot of the Year category for its Game of Thrones product.
The winners were crowned in front of more than 700 industry professionals and were decided by a judging panel of 70 expert judges.
BetConstruct was the Lead Partner for this year’s awards, powered by Gambling Insider, while Konami, Gaming Inc. was the content sponsor.
Category sponsors were IGT, Greentube, Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, BettingJobs.com, FSB Tech, Evolution Gaming, Asia Live Tech, Microgaming, Interblock, Scientific Games and Sportradar.
LAND-BASED OPERATOR
• Hard Rock International
Hard Rock International took home the award for the first time. The company, which operates casinos across North America, recently announced plans to build a new gaming resort in Yuba County, California, as part of a partnership with the Enterprise Rancheria Indian tribe.
DIGITAL OPERATOR
• Bet365
Bet365’s success at the awards continues, bagging the Digital Operator prize for the third time in four years. Bet365 is the world’s largest digital operator, in terms of generated revenue, and holds strong positions in markets around the world.
LAND-BASED PRODUCT
• Aristocrat – Lightning Link
Aristocrat picked up its first award of the ceremony for its Lightning Link product; a set of linked games that offers innovative bonus rounds and is one of the most popular casino games in the Mexico market.
DIGITAL PRODUCT
• SG Digital – OpenBet
The first SG Digital Award win of the ceremony was for its OpenBet sports betting platform. OpenBet was incorporated under the Scientific Games umbrella, following its $630M acquisition of NYX Gaming Group, which completed this year.
CUSTOMER LOYALTY PROGRAM
• Caesars Entertainment Corporation – Total Rewards
Caesars Entertainment was a first-time winner in this category, beating MGM Resorts’ M life, which won the Award in all of the previous four years. The Total Rewards scheme enables guests to earn rewards based on gameplay, while customers can earn tier points from social gaming purchases online.
LAND-BASED INDUSTRY SUPPLIER
• Scientific Games
Scientific Games showcased its consistency by winning the award for the third time in four years. After completing the acquisition of NYX Gaming Group in January, the supplier positioned itself to supply sports betting to the U.S. market through a partnership with Caesars Entertainment.
DIGITAL INDUSTRY SUPPLIER
• SG Digital
The success continued for SG Digital when it won the Digital Industry Supplier Award for the first time. SG Digital’s gaming revenue almost trebled year on year to $46.7M for the second quarter of 2018.
PRODUCT INNOVATION
• Evolution Gaming – Evolution Lightning Roulette
The company deemed to have created the most revolutionary product in the last 12 months was Evolution Gaming. Evolution Lightning Roulette launched at ICE Totally Gaming in February, which incorporates traditional roulette with “RNG Lucky Number” wins.
RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS
• GeoComply
GeoComply regained the trophy it won in 2016. GeoComply is an approved vendor in the states of New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, Georgia, Mississippi and West Virginia, and its technology continues to bring safety and responsibility to regulated casinos and digital gaming.
SLOT
• Aristocrat – Game of Thrones
Aristocrat was the inaugural winner in the Slot category. Based on the world-famous TV series and novel of the same name, Game of Thrones is available on Aristocrat’s Arc Double cabinet and offers a four-level progressive game with a multisite progressive jackpot.
PROPERTY
• Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
Borgata was the first operator to win the Property Award. Borgata is a stalwart in the Atlantic City market, offering over 3,400 slot machines and 250 table games, along with 2,000 guest rooms and a 2,400-seat entertainment venue.
AMERICAN EXECUTIVE
• Joe Asher – William Hill US
It has been a memorable year for William Hill US, as it was already in position to take advantage of the newly regulated sports betting markets in New Jersey and Delaware before the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. This was in no small part down to the visions of Asher, who is the first to win the American Executive Award.
