Aristocrat once again dominated the field in Eilers & Krejcik Gaming’s fourth annual EKG Slot Awards event, held February 24 at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Aristocrat won a total of nine awards, including a repeat win as Top Overall Supplier.
Also at the event, Sierra Design Group and Bally Technologies legend Bob Luciano was inducted into the EKG Slot Awards Hall of Fame in the Slot Development category; and the late Michael Laubach, longtime slot executive for Boyd Gaming, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the Slot Operations category. In addition, Seminole slot executive Charlie Lombardo was recognized for his induction in 2020.
The EKG Slot Awards were designed to recognize excellence in slot machine game development within the land-based casino gaming industry, iGaming and social casino sectors.
“On behalf of everyone at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, I would like to congratulate all of the individual award winners, as well as this year’s Hall of Fame Class,” said Todd Eilers, principal at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC. “I would also like to thank our Board of Advisors, official voters, VIPs, and our event sponsors. It was a great night celebrating the industry’s top games and people.”
The land-based category winners for the 4th annual EKG Slot Awards were determined by the official voting from over 120 qualified slot directors representing over 300 casinos across the U.S. and Canadian markets and representing roughly 300,000 total slot machines. For the iGaming and Social Casino segments, winners were determined by voting from a distinguished panel of industry experts.
Land-based Awards
- Top Performing NEW Video Reel Core Game– Sponsored by AGEM
- Winner: Dancing Drums Prosperity – Scientific Games
- Captain Riches – AGS
- Fortune Mint Fu Gui You Yu – Konami
- Fu Dai Lian Lian Boosted Peacock – Aristocrat
- Inca Empress – Ainsworth
- Stinkin’ Rich Skunks Gone Wild – IGT
- Super Dragon – Everi Holdings
- Ultra Rush Gold Tiger Run – Incredible Technologies
- X Wheel Chili – Aruze
- Top Performing NEW Mechanical Reel Core Game
- Winner: Double Black Diamond – Everi Holdings
- Buffalo Instant Hit – Aristocrat
- Grand Bars – Aristocrat
- Lucky Golden Toad – IGT
- Sure Fire Progressive Volcanic Sevens – IGT
- Triple Double Gems – Everi Holdings
- Top Performing NEW Premium Game
- Winner: Dragon Link – Golden Gong – Aristocrat
- Buffalo Link – Aristocrat
- Cashnado Flash Fire – Everi Holdings
- Coin Combo – Hurricane Horse – Scientific Games
- Jumanji 4d – IGT
- Ocean Spin Pirates Riches – Konami
- Wheel of Fortune – Wild Spin Vacation – IGT
- Willy Wonka – Dreamers Of Dreams – Scientific Games
- Top Performing NEW Cabinet – Core
- Winner: MarsX Portrait – Aristocrat
- Dimension 49 – Konami
- Genesis Crest – Sega Sammy
- Kascada – Scientific Games
- Peak Slant 32 – IGT
- Peak Slant 49 – IGT
- Prism VXP- Incredible Technologies
- Top Performing NEW Cabinet – Premium
- Winner: MarsX Portrait – Aristocrat
- Empire Flex Fusion – Everi Holdings
- Kascada – Scientific Games
- Mural – Scientific Games
- Neptune Double – Aristocrat
- Orion Curve – AGS
- Peak Slant 49 – IGT
- Top Performing Core Video Reel Game
- Winner: Buffalo Gold – Aristocrat
- Dancing Drums – Scientific Games
- Selexion – Konami
- Rakin’ Bacon! – AGS
- Super Charged 7’S – Quick Spin – Ainsworth
- Regal Riches – IGT
- Wheel Of Prosperity Dragon – Aruze
- Wicked Wheel Panda – Everi Holdings
- Heat ‘Em up Power Wheel – Incredible Technologies
- Top Performing Core Mechanical Reel Game
- Winner: Black Diamond – Everi Holdings
- 88 Fortunes – Duo Fu Duo Cai – Scientific Games
- Diamond Jewels 2x3x4x5x – Aristocrat
- Howling Wolf – Aruze
- Red Hot Tamales – IGT
- Top Performing Premium Game
- Winner: Dragon Link – Happy and Prosperous – Aristocrat
- Colossal Diamonds – AGS
- Gold Standard Jackpots – Everi Holdings
- Happy 8s Prosperity Boost – Incredible Technologies
- Lightning Link – High Stakes – Aristocrat
- Ultimate Fire Link – China Street – Scientific Games
- Wheel Of Fortune – Triple Red Hot 7s – IGT
- Top Performing 3rd Party IP Branded Game
- Winner: Crazy Rich Asians – Aristocrat
- Game Of Thrones – Winter Is Here – Aristocrat
- Monopoly Money Grab – Scientific Games
- Shark Week – Jaws of Steel – Everi Holdings
- Smokin’ Hot Stuff Wicked Wheel – Everi Holdings
- Wheel Of Fortune – Exotic Far East – Cash Link – IGT
- Wheel Of Fortune – Triple Gold Gold Spin – IGT
- Willy Wonka – Dreamers of Dreams – Scientific Games
- Top Performing Proprietary Branded Game– Sponsored by KPMG
- Winner: Buffalo Link – Aristocrat
- All Aboard – Dynamite Dash – Konami
- Double Top Dollar – IGT
- Rakin Bacon Deluxe – AGS
- The Vault China Blessings – Everi Holdings
- Ultimate Fire Link Power 4 – Scientific Games
- Top Performing Electronic Table Game (ETG)
- Winner: Universal Craps – Interblock
- Baccarat Maximum Fortune – Sega Sammy
- Casino Wizard – Gaming Arts
- Dynasty Roulette – IGT
- Quartz Roulette – Scientific Games
- Roll To Win Craps – Aruze
- Roulette – Alfastreet
- Roulette – TCSJOHNHUXLEY
- Top Performing Video Poker game
- Winner: All Star Poker 2 – IGT
- Multi-Hand Poker – Scientific Games
- Ultimate X – IGT
- Ultimate X Bonus Streak – IGT
- Ultimate X Gold – IGT
- Winners World Multigame – Aristocrat
- Top Performing Game from an Emerging Supplier – Sponsored by BMM Testlabs
- Winner: Money Party Link Fruity Fruity – Novomatic
- Big Top Pop N Pays – Gaming Arts
- Colossal Dragons – Bluberi Gaming
- Daruma Mystery – Zitro
- Jackpot Multiplier – Empire Technological Group
- Pandas Treasure – Sega Sammy
- Screaming Links – Lightning Gaming
- Most Improved Supplier – Core – All Suppliers Considered
- Winner: Everi Holdings
- Most Improved Supplier – Premium – All Suppliers Considered
- Winner: Aristocrat
- Best Overall Supplier of Slot Content – All Suppliers Considered
- Winner: Aristocrat
Social Casino Awards
- Winner: Lighting Link Casino – Product Madness
- Most Improved Social Casino Game
- Gold Fish Casino – SciPlay
- Star City Online – Wanin International
- Slots Golden HoYeah – IGS
- Best New Social Casino Game
- Winner: myVEGAS Bingo – PlayStudios
- ARK Slots – Murka
- Cash Billionaire – Bagelcode
- Jackpot Master Slots – ZeroGravity Games (AppLovin)
- Most Innovative Social Casino Game – Sponsored by Axes
- Winner: Live Play Bingo – Live Play Mobile
- Holdem or Foldem – Forever9 Games (AppLovin)
- Poker Face – Comunix
- Slots Era – Murka
- Top Social Casino Company
- Winner: Bole Games
- Pixel United
- Playtika
- Zynga
- AppLovin
iGaming Awards (Real-Money Online Gaming)
- Top Performing Online Slot
- Winner: 88 Fortunes – Scientific Games
- Bonanza — Evolution (Big Time Gaming)
- Capital Gains – AGS
- Dragon Power – Bragg Gaming Group (Wild Streak Gaming)
- Cleopatra – IGT
- Hypernova Megaways – Reel Play
- Big Spin Bonus – Inspired
- Diamond Cash Mighty Elephant – Greentube (Novomatic Interactive)
- Cash Machine – Everi Holdings
- Top Performing Online Table Game
- Winner: Blackjack Xchange – Gaming Realms
- Blackjack – IGT
- Blackjack Surrender – Evolution (NetEnt)
- Top Performing Online Live Casino Game
- Winner: Infinite Blackjack – Evolution
- Live Dealer Roulette – Evolution
- Live Dealer Baccarat – Evolution
- Live Roulette – Playtech
- Blackjack Unlimited – Playtech
- Best Overall Supplier of Online Content – All Suppliers Considered
• Winner: Evolution