As Gambling Insider gained popularity among the industry in those first few years, the next natural extension of the business was to create a set of Awards. In 2014, that is how the Global Gaming Awards came to be.
Now an integral part of not just Gambling Insider and Gaming America but the gaming industry, the Global Gaming Awards were designed to recognise and reward talent and outstanding achievements across both the land-based and digital sectors. As the industry evolved – driven by technology, consumer behaviour, regulation and global expansion – the Awards evolved in parallel.
What began over a decade ago as a single event in Las Vegas on the Monday of G2E has grown into a global series of three prestigious ceremonies. In 2018, Gambling Insider launched the Global Gaming Awards Europe, Middle East & Africa, held in London’s Hippodrome Casino between 2018-2024, and as of this year – in Barcelona. In 2022, a third Global Gaming Awards event was added, dedicated to the Asia-Pacific market and held in Manila. Our flagship Global Gaming Awards Americas event remains in Las Vegas and is held every October during G2E.
Each edition of the Global Gaming Awards now reflects the distinct dynamics of its region, while maintaining a consistent focus on innovation and leadership. Gambling Insider’s Founders had a vision to create Awards that are truly fair – and they succeeded in doing so. Companies are nominated for the Global Gaming Awards on merit, for a specific reason, related to their achievements in the respective region from the past 12 months. That reason is made publicly available.
In addition, the winners are chosen by senior industry executives, meaning it is not us at Gambling Insider saying to the winners that they are the best, it is the industry saying so. And if that’s not enough proof of the prestige and fairness of the Global Gaming Awards, KPMG has been acting as the Awards’ voting adjudicator since day one.
Each year we review the categories for all three Global Gaming Awards events and evaluate whether they represent the industry well at this moment in time. Looking back on the past 12 years, one can see how much the industry has evolved just by the small tweaks we have made to the Awards categories. Slowly over the years, more digital categories were added. Verticals such as Payments emerged, particularly post-Covid-19, which accelerated the industry’s shift towards cashless. Bringing breakthrough technology to the land-based casino floor is another recent trend, which resulted in us adding the Casino Services Supplier of the Year category to our Americas Awards this year. With more and more companies cleverly harnessing the power of AI, it is probably a matter of time before we have a category solely dedicated to that as well.
It’s not just the categories that tell the story, the winners over the years reveal a significant amount about how the industry has grown and changed, too
Just a few years ago, Aristocrat was one of many companies that were simply shortlisted. Today, it consistently takes home awards in every category it’s nominated for, highlighting not only its remarkable growth, but also its emergence as a true powerhouse in the global gaming industry. Elsewhere, we had companies such as Microgaming and NetEnt swooping up the Digital Supplier categories, until the live casino vertical took the industry by storm and along came Evolution.
On the land-based side we now have companies such as MGM Resorts winning awards not just for their offline operations, but for their digital arm, BetMGM – a past winner at both the Global Gaming Awards Americas and EMEA.
Another standout winner I’d like to highlight is Amy Howe, CEO of FanDuel, who made history as the only person to win the Executive of the Year award three times (and in a row). Each win was well deserved – under her leadership, FanDuel became America’s #1 sportsbook and the fastest-growing iGaming operator. But beyond her professional success, what stands out to me is what her wins say about our industry. Amy joined FanDuel in 2021 from outside the gambling sector and, by 2022, the industry had already recognised her exceptional impact. Her story is a powerful example of how open and welcoming this industry can be to strong, visionary leadership, regardless of where it comes from.
The past 12 years of the Global Gaming Awards have not only celebrated success, but they have also told the story of an industry in constant transformation. From the era of land-based dominance to the explosive growth of iGaming and online sports betting across the globe, from local operators to global giants, and from traditional slots to AI-powered solutions, the Awards reflect how far the industry has come and spotlight those leading it into the future.
In an industry defined by constant reinvention, the Global Gaming Awards remain a vital platform for recognising innovation, leadership and integrity. Every day I feel incredibly honoured, privileged and grateful to be part of the Gambling Insider team and lead the industry’s MOST PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS.
