The GGB Gaming & Technology Awards are the casino industry’s most prestigious awards for technology, products and services that enhance the gaming experience. The honors are designed to recognize and encourage innovation and technology in the rapidly changing gaming industry. Winners of the 2019 G&T Awards will be announced in the November 2019 issue of Global Gaming Businessmagazine, and individual presentations will be made in the winners’ booths at Global Gaming Expo on October 17.
Roger Gros, publisher of GGB, explains why the GGB Gaming & Technology Awards are the top award recognition of the industry’s technology initiatives.
“The Gaming & Technology Awards have long been recognized as the gold standard for technology companies in the gaming industry,” he says. “And by presenting the awards at G2E, the GGB Gaming & Technology Awards are able to convey ‘Best of Show’ winners at G2E. And since G2E is the most prestigious show in the gaming industry, the presentation of these awards at G2E elevates the winners and all nominees.”
In the past, winners of the GGB Gaming and Technology Awards have gone on to revolutionize the casino industry, set high standards on the slot floor, revolutionize customer service, and set benchmarks for quality casino games.
Judges for the awards this year are: Claudia Winkler, president, G.H.I. Solutions, Inc.; Rob Russell, gaming analyst, Regulatory Management Counselors, P.C.; Frank Neborsky, general manager, The Downs Racetrack & Casino; Gerhard Burda, president and CEO, ESCAPES Advisory Services; Cliff Paige, slot director, South Point Casino Hotel; and
Skyelar Perkins, senior director of slot operations, Choctaw Casinos.
Nominations for the 2020 GGB Gaming & Technology Awards open in June, and include new products and services that will be introduced in 2019 or 2020.
Fitting In
The GGB Gaming & Technology Awards are divided into five categories:
• Best Consumer-Service Technology (pictured above)
This category concerns technology that directly touches the customers. Whether it is an enhanced kiosk, a new player-tracking system, reservations system, or parking management system, or any other customer-friendly device, this technology directly impacts the experience of the customer. Why is this a step up from previous technologies?
Gold Medal in 2018: Konami Gaming for SynkConnect Cardless
• Best Productivity-Enhancement Technology
This category describes a technology that makes a job or task easier and more efficient. Examples could be an online accounting system, better technology for printing tickets on cashless slots, or an employee communications device that allows a property to better explain its programs to its workers. How does this technology improve on the way the task or job had been previously performed?
Gold Medal in 2018: GLI for Test Automation
• Best Slot Product
Very simply, this product is the judges’ favorite new slot product. It can be a brand new game or a traditional game that has been updated within the past 12 months. What makes this machine or game a step forward technologically?
Gold Medal in 2018: Aruze Gaming for Muso Triple-27
• Best Table-Game Product or Innovation
The growth of table games continues to occur around the world, and makes it important to recognize innovative developments in this area. In this category, nominations can be made for table games or any product related to table games.
Gold Medal in 2018: AGS for STAX Table-Game Progressive Solution
• Best Interactive Product
Recognizing emerging technology, nominations are open to products that electronically connect customers with land-based or online casinos or gaming platforms.
Gold Medal in 2018: Scientific Games for OpenBet
