Highest Tech
Winners of 24th Annual GGB Gaming & Technology Awards Announced
The GGB Gaming & Technology Awards are the only international awards program that recognizes excellence in innovation and practical application in all gaming disciplines. Hundreds of gaming products and services were entered this year into this important competition.
The awards were presented on the exhibit floor of the Global Gaming Expo (G2E), in October at the Venetian Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas.
“The technology associated with the quality of the nominations for the GGB Gaming & Technology Awards is groundbreaking,” says Frank Legato, editor of Global Gaming Business magazine. “The innovations presented in this year’s submissions are designed to create a closer relationship with customers and build a business environment that is transparent and intuitive.
“As usual, it’s very difficult to evaluate the most innovative and unique products. The judges for the GGB Gaming & Technology Awards are some of the most skilled, dedicated and respected executives in the business, so their opinion carries a great deal of weight. The winners of this year’s edition were selected from some amazing submissions and demonstrated true innovation.”
The prestigious panel of judges for the awards in 2025 included: Itsik Akiva, iGaming expert and founder, Headway Consulting; Gerhard Burda, president and CEO, ESCAPES Advisory Services; Laila Mintas, entrepreneur and strategic adviser in the sports betting and technology industry; Frank Neborsky, experienced casino executive; Cliff Paige, slot director, South Point Casino Resort, Las Vegas; Skyelar Perkins, corporate slot director, Choctaw Casinos; Rob Russell, gaming analyst, Regulatory Management Counselors, P.C.; and Robin Villareal, CIO, Gila River Resorts & Casinos.
Nominations for the 2026 GGB Gaming & Technology Awards will open in May 2025, and include new products and services to be introduced in 2025 or 2026.
For more information, contact Terri Brady, sales director, GGB at [email protected].
Best Consumer Service TechnologyGOLD: Foundation HQ–Acres Manufacturing
SILVER: Slot Marker–IGT
Best iGaming ProductGOLD: PAM+ platform–Playtech
SILVER: Aristocrat Interactive Platform–Aristocrat Interactive
Best Productivity-Enhancement TechnologyGOLD: Agilysys Spa Powered by guestsense.ai–Agilysys, Inc.
SILVER: ENGAGE AI–Light & Wonder
Best Slot TechnologyGOLD: Tiger and Dragon–IGT
SILVER: Whisker Wheels–Aristocrat Gaming
Best Sports Betting ProductGOLD: iFrame Betting Solution–Oddin.gg
SILVER: IGT PlaySports Solution–IGT PlaySports
Best Table Game Product or InnovationGOLD: Smart Pit–Interblock
SILVER: Bonus Spin Xtreme for Poker Rooms–AGS
Spreading the Word
AGA honors the Gaming Hall of Fame Class of 2024
At an invitation-only induction ceremony, the American Gaming Association (AGA) honored the Gaming Hall of Fame Class of 2024—three leaders who have made significant contributions to the industry:
- Jim Allen, Chairman, Hard Rock International; Chief Executive Officer, Seminole Gaming; Former Chairman, American Gaming Association
- Alan Feldman, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Distinguished Fellow in Responsible Gaming, International Gaming Institute, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Former Executive, MGM Resorts International
- Debi Nutton, Board Member, Everi Holdings; Executive Coach-Consultant; Former Casino Operations Executive, MGM Resorts, Wynn Resorts
“From helping transform tribal gaming and pioneering responsible gaming research to blazing new paths in casino operations, Jim, Alan and Debi have been integral to shaping the modern gaming industry,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller.
Since 1989, the Gaming Hall of Fame has recognized gaming icons and leaders for their enduring influence on the industry.
“The Gaming Hall of Fame honors leaders that have had a distinct impact on our industry’s success,” said AGA Chairman of the Board and Everi Executive Chairman Mike Rumbolz (Gaming Hall of Fame Class of 2022). “This year’s inductees have met and exceeded this threshold throughout their careers and continue to do so in their current work. ”
Hall of Fame honorees are selected by an independent panel of gaming executives. This year’s selection committee members include:
- Maureen Adams, Executive Vice President, Gaming, Churchill Downs Inc.
- Jay Dorris, President and CEO, Wind Creek Hospitality
- Siobhan Lane, CEO, Gaming, Light & Wonder
- Alex Dixon, CEO, DRA and Co-founder and Co-chair, African Americans in Gaming
- Mark Lipparelli, Chairman, International Center for Responsible Gaming
- Kirsten Clark, Executive Director, International Association of Gaming Advisors
- Lauren Bates, Chair, Global Gaming Women
- Brett Abarbanel, Executive Director, UNLV International Gaming Institute
- Mike Rumbolz, Executive Chairman, Everi; Chairman of the Board, AGA
Jim Allen, Chairman, Hard Rock International; Chief Executive Officer, Seminole Gaming; Former Chairman, American Gaming Association
A gaming and hospitality industry veteran with more than 44 years of experience, Allen currently serves as chief executive officer of Seminole Gaming and chairman of Hard Rock International and Hard Rock Digital. He also recently served as chairman of the board of directors of the AGA. Since 2001, Allen has overseen all gaming, hospitality and entertainment operations for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, including leading the tribe’s 2007 acquisition of Hard Rock International, the first acquisition of a major international company by a North American Indian tribe. Under his leadership, Seminole Gaming and Hard Rock International have grown their global business footprint and their leadership in U.S. casino gaming, winning numerous awards for excellence in operations, hospitality and employment.
Allen has also led the expansion of the company’s entertainment offerings to sports and sports betting, including the 2020 launch of Hard Rock Digital—an online and retail sportsbook and internet gaming platform—and partnerships with Formula One Racing in both Miami and Las Vegas, Red Bull Racing, Lionel Messi, and Hard Rock Stadium, which hosts the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. Allen also lectures at many professional conferences, governmental programs and college campuses and makes frequent appearances on CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg, Fox Business and other financial news networks.
Alan Feldman, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Distinguished Fellow in Responsible Gaming, International Gaming Institute, University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Former Executive, MGM Resorts International
Alan Feldman currently serves as director of strategic initiatives and distinguished fellow in responsible gaming at UNLV’s International Gaming Institute, where he is at the forefront of developing programs and policies that enhance industry knowledge and regulatory practices around responsible gaming. During his 30-year tenure at MGM Resorts, Feldman was instrumental in launching GameSense, a pioneering initiative that now promotes healthy gambling behaviors across all MGM U.S. properties.
Feldman is also a globally sought-after speaker on responsible gaming and holds key advisory roles in the industry, including serving as chair emeritus of the International Center for Responsible Gaming, where he formerly served as chairman of the board. Feldman’s significant contributions have been recognized with awards such as the Gaming Professional of the Year by the Casino Management Association in 2002 and a Lifetime Achievement Award in Gaming Communications from the American Gaming Association in 2009.
Debi Nutton, Board Member, Everi Holdings; Executive Coach-Consultant; Former Casino Operations Executive, MGM Resorts, Wynn Resorts
Nutton currently serves as a board member at Everi Holdings while also helming her business as a gaming consultant and executive coach. Her career in the gaming industry began in 1980 as one of the few female dice dealers on the Las Vegas Strip. She notably contributed to the opening team of The Mirage in 1989, where she distinguished herself as the sole female dice pit manager at the time. Over her 24-year tenure with MGM and Mirage, Nutton rose to senior vice president of casino operations and marketing for MGM and Bellagio before assuming the role of executive vice president of casino operations at Wynn Resorts in 2013.
Today, she is shaping the next generation of gaming as an executive coach-consultant, advising the industry on leadership practices and casino operations. A founding board member of Global Gaming Women, Nutton has received numerous accolades, including the 2018 Great Women of Gaming Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2009 Casino Enterprise Management Great Women of Gaming Proven Leader Award, and being named a “Woman of Distinction” by the National Association of Women Business Owners in 2007.
