The Global Gaming Awards Asia-Pacific head into their third year this June. But with a difference. Indeed, after two virtual ceremonies, this year will see the most prestigious Awards ceremony in gaming reach Asia, live from the Philippines, at the Conrad Manila Hotel at 1:00PM on Tuesday 4 June. Across 11 categories, a prestigious panel of senior industry executives have voted to decide the best performers within Asian gaming over the past 12 months. In Manila, we’ll find out exactly who won.
The history
As those familiar with the Global Gaming Awards may already know, this is not just any old ceremony. With the first ever Global Gaming Awards taking place in Las Vegas in 2014, the Awards then expanded to London in 2018. The Asia-Pacific Awards were then launched in 2022.
Each ceremony has a select number of categories, an expert panel of judges and, crucially, an equal number of nominees in each category. Nominees are shortlisted on merit, following an extensive process, and the judging process means only the very best can triumph on merit. Mariya Savova, Global Gaming Awards Event Manager, says: “Our events, dedicated to the Americas and EMEA regions, have been so well received by the industry, making the Global Gaming Awards Asia-Pacific a natural extension of our brand.
“Just like we do at our EMEA and Americas events, we invited senior industry executives with vast knowledge and years of experience in the relevant market to choose the winners, with KPMG in the Crown Dependencies independently adjudicating the voting process. Only one executive per company can participate in the Judging Panel and they are excluded from voting in categories where they have a conflict of interest. “We have ensured that a fair shortlisting and voting processes have been implemented, so those who walk off the stage with a trophy on 4 June can be extremely proud as it is essentially the industry telling them they are the best.”
Manila: A new chapter
With a busy SiGMA Manila tradeshow to come in early June, Manila was a natural location to host the first-ever in-person Global Gaming Awards Asia-Pacific. Alejandro H. Tengco, Chairman and CEO of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation recently championed the Philippines’ chances of CEO surpassing Singapore as the Asia-Pacific region’s second-largest gambling hub by 2025. Gross gaming revenue in the Philippines reached a record PHP 285.27bn ($5.1bn) for 2023, with both a bustling land-based and digital sector.
But perhaps more significant was 2023 iGaming revenue of PHP 58.16bn, a figure that is only growing. The land-based sector is, naturally, huge (as we discuss in this very magazine). Singapore, the Philippines, Australia, South Korea and Vietnam are all doing their best to challenge the might of Macau. Meanwhile, Thailand, the UAE and Japan have eyes on claiming some of that market share. Yet the world is increasingly digitalising – and online betting in Asia is already huge. Manila, therefore, made for the perfect destination for the Global Gaming Awards to welcome their new chapter.
What can we expect this year?
All we can say for definite heading into any Global Gaming Awards ceremony is that only the highest performers will stand out enough to receive the Judges’ approval. But, looking through our Shortlist, some names appear throughout. On the land-based side, Interblock Gaming and Aristrocrat Gaming receive multiple nominations, as do Solaire Resort (the individual Bloomberry property) and Wynn Resorts (the operator with multiple properties). Newport World Resorts in Manila is also nominated more than once, while we have a new entrant in Mohegan’s Inspire in South Korea.
As Savova explains, “This year’s Shortlist shows us that Macau is officially back with all six concessionaires being nominated in one or more categories for very valid reasons. Operators from the Philippines, of course, are not far behind, which is yet more proof that this is the fastest-growing market in the region. “On the supplier side we have a category dedicated to the best Table Game Product – this category is exclusive to our Asia-Pacific event, given the popularity of table games in the region. This is also one of the most hotly contested categories and narrowing down the Shortlist to just eight products was particularly challenging. “Our entire team is very much looking forward to seeing who will grab those 11 Awards on 4 June in Manila!”
