AGS Recognized for Employee Culture
Slot supplier AGS announced it has been included in the 2024 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation and Atlanta by the National Association for Business Resources (NABR). This marks the eighth consecutive year in which AGS has received recognition.
Concurrently, AGS has been named to the Las Vegas Review-Journal and Business Press, The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, and The Oklahoman’s prestigious 2024 Top Workplaces lists. These awards recognize AGS’ dedication to creating a workplace that ensures a healthy organizational culture, employee well-being, and long-term success.
In addition to these prestigious regional accolades, AGS has also received the 2024 Top Workplaces Culture Excellence Awards across its U.S. locations for Innovation, Work-Life Flexibility, Compensation & Benefits, Leadership, and Purpose & Values.
Aristocrat Gaming Launches Phoenix Link
Aristocrat Gaming has launched the newest evolution of one of the most iconic game families with the introduction of Phoenix Link. The game is a perfect complement to the company’s landmark, player-favorite Dragon Link, and brings with it new twists and turns that provide players with more features, more entertainment and more ways to win.
Phoenix Link rises on the Neptune Single cabinet and will make its premiere in the Aristocrat Gaming booth at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas. The game will first hit casino floors in North America.
“Phoenix Link and Dragon Link are the ‘yin’ and ‘yang’ to each other,” said Victor Duarte, executive vice president of gaming product for Aristocrat Gaming.
“While they come from the same family, the Phoenix has its own, fiery personality that brings together game features we know players love, and some new ones we’re excited for them to discover. This game is brought to life in a way that only Aristocrat Gaming can, with industry-leading game design, mathematics, art, sound, and software functionality.”
Veteran Communicator David Orrick Dead at 75
David Orrick, the veteran communicator who made his mark working with the late Jens Halle at Novomatic and at Merkur Gaming, died at age 75 on Sept. 13. Orrick was recognized by the industry in 2020 as a recipient of the Peter Mead Memorial Award Honoring Excellence in Gaming Media & Communications.
Orrick started in the gaming industry in 1993 as editor of Euroslot magazine after a 17-year career as a motorsport journalist, editor, author and publisher. He also served as founder, editor and publisher of Casino International magazine before joining Spanish slot machine manufacturer Recreativos Franco, S.A as international communications manager in 1997.
Orrick then served as director of communications for Unidesa Gaming and Systems before moving to Novomatic AG in 2007 as communications & business development director of Austrian Gaming Industries (AGI) GmbH, where he joined industry legend Halle to assist AGI’s expansion into new markets, as well as serving as communications director of Novomatic’s U.K. subsidiary Astra Games Limited.
“Orrick’s humorous, approachable, and consistently professional demeanor made him a particularly well-liked industry representative, who over the decades forged countless deep personal connections within the industry,” said a press statement from Merkur.
Konami, Xailient to Showcase SYNK Vision at G2E
Konami Gaming, Inc. and Xailient announced that SYNK Vision, the world’s only player facial recognition solution for slots, has been expanded to provide instant recognition of casino players at table games. Konami will be demonstrating the solution at the Global Gaming Expo Oct. 8-10.
In 2023, the launch of SYNK Vision revolutionized player tracking and harm minimization by offering instant login capabilities for both carded (known) and optionally anonymous (unknown) players — eliminating the need for player loyalty cards, or other methods of logging onto the player tracking system.
Leveraging privacy-safe facial recognition technology from Xailient, Konami’s SYNK Vision addresses challenges such as identity fraud, duplicate player records, and gaps in player tracking data, even for anonymous users.
Inspired Gaming and William Hill Launch Slot Game
Inspired Entertainment, Inc., a leading B2B provider of gaming content, systems and solutions, in partnership with William Hill, one of the U.K.’s leading betting companies, announced the launch of William Hill Vegas Gold Cash Free Spins.
This bespoke game combines renowned William Hill Vegas imagery with the engaging mechanics of Inspired’s popular Gold Cash Free Spins theme.
Specifically tailored for William Hill’s players, William Hill Vegas Gold Cash Free Spins promises an immersive experience featuring captivating gameplay, branded iconography, and player-favorite features. The five-reel, 40-line slot game is designed to deliver both excitement and engagement.
Players can trigger the Free Spins bonus by landing three William Hill Vegas bonus symbols on a single spin, awarding them with eight Free Spins. During this bonus, only the three highest symbols and stacked wilds appear on the reels, boosting the potential for big wins.
JCM Global Licensed in Colorado
JCM Global has been licensed by the Colorado Division of Gaming, authorizing JCM to sell the TITA Table Game System directly to customers throughout the state, in addition to its other leading transaction and automation solutions.
This license builds on JCM’s more than 170 active gaming licenses the company holds and maintains across North America and around the world. Most recently, JCM earned licensing in the state of New Mexico.
“Attaining this license further demonstrates JCM’s commitment to our customers and to regulatory compliance,” said Dave Kubajak, JCM Global senior vice president of sales, marketing and operations. “Customers throughout Colorado already use our core technology and solutions and have showed great interest in our TITA system, so we pursued this license to bring expanded product availability for those customers.”
The TITA table game solution optimizes operations, increases funds access, and improves cash flow. Through TITA, players easily redeem tickets and other cashless funds for chips, access funds via debit card with the POS, and convert winnings into tickets and cashless, all directly at the table. TITA also enables operators to monitor live transactional activity.
KingMidas, NGX Partner
KingMidas Games, a leading next-generation iGaming studio, announced its expansion into Latin America (LATAM) through a strategic partnership with renowned iGaming platform NGX.
The collaboration marks a significant step in KingMidas Games’ global growth strategy to deliver localized and differentiated iGaming solutions to markets beyond Asia. It also aligns with NGX’s commitment to provide cutting-edge iGaming, sports betting and lottery solutions that enable LATAM operators to deliver exceptional gameplay experiences.
As part of the partnership, NGX will integrate KingMidas Games’ expansive library, featuring more than 100 titles across diverse genres, including Classics, Slots, and cutting-edge Next-Generation games such as Jackpot Jump and Penguin Panic. The partnership emphasizes localization, with content tailored to resonate with LATAM operators and players, and available in key regional languages, including English, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Researcher Pfund Recognized by ICRG
The International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG) announced that Dr. Rory A. Pfund has been selected for the 2024 ICRG Scientific Achievement Award, in recognition of Pfund’s outstanding contributions to gambling studies and his significant impact on advancing research in gambling disorder and responsible gambling.
Pfund is a research assistant professor at the University of Memphis and the clinic and research director at the Tennessee Institute for Gambling Education & Research.
Despite being an early-stage researcher, Pfund has already authored over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles, many of which focus on the treatment and prevention of gambling disorders. His work has set new standards in the field by applying cutting-edge meta-analytic methodologies to evaluate the efficacy of psychological treatments for gambling harm.
Pfund’s research has been instrumental in achieving the official recognition of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for gambling disorder as an empirically supported treatment by the American Psychological Association’s Society of Clinical Psychology. This recognition is a significant milestone, as gambling disorder had not been included on the SCP’s treatment list since its designation as an addiction in 2013.
IGT Executive to Receive GGW Pay it Forward Award
Shondra DeLoach-Perea, IGT vice president of field services, call centers and technology operations, has been named a recipient of Global Gaming Women’s (GGW) 2024 Patty Becker Pay it Forward Award.
The annual award program honors women in the gaming industry who have contributed to GGW’s initiatives and helped support women in their organization and community.
With a gaming career that extends more than 25 years, DeLoach-Perea has worked in multiple facets of the gaming and lottery sectors, including technology, compliance, the call center, operations, employee training, and manufacturing. She started her career at IGT in 2008 as the field services manager for southern Nevada. In her current position, DeLoach-Perea oversees a global team that spans North America, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
DeLoach-Perea will be honored during GGW’s 14th Annual Kick Up Your Heels event at the Wynn Las Vegas on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
