Global gaming awards 2018

Following months of fevered speculation and anxious waiting, the Shortlist for the inaugural Global Gaming Awards London has been announced, recognising many of the industry’s key players.

Completion of the Global Gaming Awards London Final Shortlist has been a lengthy and complex process, in which potential nominees have been deliberated over by our Nomination Panel of highly qualified and experienced experts drawn from a broad range of gaming industry backgrounds.

With the Shortlist complete, the Judges will cast their votes on 16 separate categories, each with ten shortlisted nominees. The only exception to this is in the Chief Executive of the Year category, where judges will have to pick from 25 of the industry’s most successful CEOs. It will be these votes and these votes alone which determine the winners of each award.

The GGA’s long-term partner, KPMG Gibraltar, will adjudicate the voting process, ensuring that the winners are the companies and individuals that receive the most commendation from their peers.

After the votes have been cast and counted, attention turns to the London presentation ceremony at the prestigious Matcham Theatre in The Hippodrome Casino, on Monday 5 February.

Prior to the ceremony, attendees of the invite-only event will be treated to a champagne reception in the casino’s Heliot Lounge, named after famed female lion tamer extraordinaire Claire Heliot. The opulent room combines the cosmopolitan atmosphere of a central London locale with the intimacy of secluded speakeasy, and attendees will be greeted with a glass of bubbly before moving on to the main event in the Matcham Theatre, where they will enjoy afternoon tea while the GGA winners are announced Full details of this year’s winners will be released on the website after the ceremony, and will be covered in-depth in the issue of GI Friday that week.

The Global Gaming Awards London categories

BETTING SHOP OPERATOR

This category serves to reward and recognise the betting shop operator which has set itself apart from other retail operations, be it through the quality of their retail premises, the scope of the products they offer or the success they have experienced in the Sports Betting sector.

ONLINE Sports Betting OPERATOR

In a competitive and fast moving vertical, this award recognises the online Sports Betting operator whose products and services offer the speed, value and innovation essential to both differentiate in the market and meet consumer demands.

RETAIL SUPPLIER

Having great marketing and USPs means nothing without the support and infrastructure with which to deliver the best experience to customers, and this award recognises the role that these companies play in this process. Covering all aspects from OTC and self-service sales points, to receipts and accounting and back office software, this award brings together an impressive selection of the biggest names in the sector.

ONLINE SPORTS BETTING SUPPLIER

This award acknowledges the supplier whose platforms and products have served to enhance the offerings of sports betting operators, whether it's a standalone service or a complete white label solution.

CASINO

From the grandeur and pomp of the Casino de Monte Carlo and the Casino Baden Baden, to the modern sophistication of Resorts World Birmingham, the casinos in the Shortlist are all highly impressive gaming venues. With so many individual elements contributing to the creation and success of a great casino venue, this award recognises those venues which are the best in the business.

ONLINE CASINO

Companies nominated for this award will need to have achieved something truly special to stand out in what is a very competitive marketplace. The judges will be looking at a number of factors including financial online casino performance, customer satisfaction and product innovation.

CASINO SUPPLIER

This award notes the contribution of those companies which shape the superb products and services that keep customers coming into casinos. Shortlisted nominees will have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in supplying the gaming industry with a portfolio of products which genuinely improve the casino floor.

ONLINE CASINO SUPPLIER

One of the awards' most competitive categories, the shortlist for this award is full of accomplished gaming suppliers producing innovative and lucrative games, as well as platform suppliers whose products underpin some of the most successful gaming sites in the world. With this category, the Global Gaming Awards pays tribute to the valuable work being undertaken by the very best in this sector.

CASINO PRODUCT

This award recognises the innovation and ingenuity so visible in the casino games market, with the nominees in this category showcasing just what is possible with the latest technology.

Live gaming, online slots and gamified adventures are all represented here.

PAYMENT SOLUTION

In today's gambling industry, millions of transactions are undertaken every second of every day. Mindful of the ever-increasing role that payment technology can play in both the land-based and online gaming industry, the Global Gaming Awards want to recognise the role that these essential companies play in delivering a superior customer experience.

CORPORATE SERVICES PROVIDER

Modern gaming operations rely on a whole host of services, from marketing and PR to risk management and legal services. Noting the intrinsic value of these businesses, the Global Gaming Awards wants to recognise a provider of corporate services whose business has become indispensible to its Gambling Industry partners.

ONLINE BINGO OPERATOR

This award acknowledges the operator whose online bingo offering is innovative and distinct, while also staying true to the core mechanics of the bingo game. It also recognises those operators who build communities with their players, engaging them in new and ever more diverse bingo variants.

ONLINE POKER OPERATOR

At a time when online poker is enjoying something of a resurgence, the Global Gaming Awards will recognise the online poker site which offers its customers unique features and games which set it apart from other operators in the industry.

AFFILIATE PROGRAMME

Online gaming operations are reliant on affiliate sites to drive a significant proportion of their traffic and generate revenue. The GGA judges will be looking at those affiliate networks which have performed over and above in an increasingly difficult regulatory environment, and have supported their partners on both sides of the equation.

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY PROVIDER

Over the past few years, corporate responsibility has shifted from being a background issue to one of the core aspects of any business operating in the gaming industry. In the light of this shift, this category will serve to recognise the provider who has made an outstanding contribution to player safety and corporate responsibility issues.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

The global gaming industry is replete with hugely impressive individuals who have distinguished themselves throughout 2017 by expertly navigating their respective organisations through the rocky shallows of the gaming industry and onto the serene seas of success. This award will reward and recognise an outstanding Chief Executive in the European gaming sector.