GGB Announces 2027 Gaming & Technology Award Winners
Annual awards recognize technology and product innovation across casino gaming, iGaming, sports betting, operations and customer experience. Global Gaming Business (GGB) announced the winners of its annual Gaming & Technology Awards, recognizing products and technologies that are influencing the gaming industry. The program covers innovation across land-based gaming, iGaming, sports betting, casino operations and customer experience, with entries competing in six award categories.
Terri Brady, Sales Director of Global Gaming Business, said the awards are intended to highlight ideas that are moving the industry forward and noted the strength of this year’s field. An independent panel of gaming-industry executives and experts selected the winners, who will be recognized during Global Gaming Expo (G2E), scheduled for September 28 through October 1 at The Venetian Expo in Las Vegas.
2027 AWARD WINNERS
Best Consumer Service Technology
Winner: UrVenue: Venue Management Software – UrVenue
Runner-up: Bella Virtual Concierge – Object Studio, LLC
Best Online Casino Product or Technology
Winner: PromoSherlock – MDF Partners
Runner-up: Lightning Link RMG – Aristocrat Interactive
Best Productivity-Enhancement Technology
Winner: Vector LMS and ArdentSky – Vector Solutions
Runner-up: Tangam AI Assistant & Reporting – Tangam Systems
Best Slot Product
Winner: Monopoly Big Board Bucks – Aristocrat Gaming
Runner-up: Smokin’ Train – Bluberi
Best Sports Betting Product or Technology
Winner: Delasport Sportsbook – Delasport
Runner-up: ProhiBet and ProhiTrade – IC360
Best Table Game Product or Innovation
Winner: Exacta HHR Roulette – Exacta Systems
Runner-up: AMUSE – Interblock
Gun Lake Tribe Installs New Council Members, Elects Jodie Palmer Chairwoman
The Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi, which operates Gun Lake Casino and Resort in Bradley, has installed three newly elected council members and selected new leadership. Amy Austin, Hunter Levandoski and Eric Sprague were sworn in after being elected to fill vacant council seats. Following the swearing-in, the council selected Jodie Palmer to serve as Tribal Chairwoman and Sprague as Vice Chairman. Palmer succeeds Bob Peters, who retired after eight years as Tribal Chairman and twelve years on the council. Palmer said the new members’ backgrounds, experience and perspectives will support the Tribe’s priorities and future planning.
Michigan Online Gaming Reports $337.6M in August Revenue
Michigan commercial and tribal operators reported $337.6 million in combined iGaming and online sports-betting gross receipts in August, a 2.5% decline from July. iGaming generated $303.0 million, while online sports betting produced $34.6 million in gross receipts.
Combined adjusted gross receipts totaled $315.0 million, including $290.8 million from iGaming and $24.2 million from online sports betting. Compared with July, iGaming
AGR increased 0.1% while sports-betting AGR fell 21.4%. Year over year, iGaming AGR increased 17.6% and sports-betting AGR declined 29.3%.
The August online sports-betting handle totaled $330.5 million, down 7.0% from July. Operators submitted $62.8 million in taxes and payments to the State of Michigan, including $61.2 million from iGaming and $1.6 million from online sports betting. Detroit casinos reported nearly $13.9 million in wagering taxes and municipal-services fees, while tribal operators reported $8.5 million in payments to governing bodies.
Quick Look
$337.6M
Combined iGaming and online sports-betting gross
receipts
$303.0M
August iGaming gross receipts
$34.6M
August online sports-betting gross receipts
$330.5M
Online sports-betting handle
$62.8M
State taxes and payments submitted in August
15
Authorized commercial and tribal online gaming operators
Emerging Leaders of Gaming 40 Under 40 Class of 2027 Announced
The Innovation Group, in partnership with WorldGaming’s Global Gaming Business and iGaming Business, announced the 2027 Emerging Leaders of Gaming 40 Under 40 class. The program recognizes professionals under age 40 whose work is contributing to the gaming industry across casino operations, marketing, legal and regulatory affairs, manufacturing, tribal gaming, iGaming, sports-betting fintech and academia.
The honorees were selected through an open nomination process. The class will be recognized during the Emerging Leaders of Gaming 40 Under 40 Networking Reception on September 30 from 4 to 5 p.m. during G2E at The Venetian Expo in Las Vegas.
2027 HONOREES
• Kaitlin Brown — Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling
• Alexandra Clark — ECL Entertainment
• Desiree Dickerson —THNDR
• Andrew Effiong — Rivers Casino Portsmouth
• Josh Ellis — Aristocrat Interactive
• Aaron Feinberg — The Nash Casino
• Danielle Finn — William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV
• Charles Flood — DraftKings
• Jackson Floyd — AGS
• Adam Glass — Rush Street Interactive
• Jeana Harper Day — Kentucky Downs
• April Herring — Choctaw Nation Casinos & Resorts
• Zach Kastelic — GLI
• Michael Klimek — Mesquite Entertainment
• Jeremy Kolman — BetMGM
• CJ Landau — Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood
• Lauren Lemmer — Fanatics Betting & Gaming
• Marina Lima — Clever Advertising
• Bethan Lloyd — Wiggin LLP
• Juan Mariscal — IGT
Emerging Leaders of Gaming 40 Under 40 — Continued
• Connor Martin — New Jersey Racing Commission
• Brandon Mastromartino — San Diego State University
• Hillary McAfee — MaxBet Podcast
• Brendan Moore — Eilers & Krejcik Gaming
• Jasmine Moreland — Michigan Gaming Control Board
• Cíara Nic Liam — Entain
• Vasiliki Panousi — Kaizen Gaming
• Luka Pataky — Bragg Gaming Group
• Fiona Power — Power Room Éire / The Unit
• Kyle Ridgeway — Wyoming Downs / 307 Horse Racing
• Nicole Russo — UNLV International Center for Gaming Regulation
• Lex Scott — ITV Studios
• Lawrence Shizhe Shen — Advantage Partners Consulting
• Todd Stender — Mohegan
• Kate Talamo-Hagan — Think Traffic
• Melissa Thevenot — Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
• Kaleigh Thompson — Pavilion Payments
• Shane Thompson — Konami Gaming
• Alec Thomson — Arizona Lottery
• Daniel Vyravipillai — Morgan Stanley
The selection committee included gaming-industry professionals Melissa Aarskaug, Pam Buckley, Tracy Cohen, Alex Dixon and Jason Giles. Robin Harrison, Global Content Director for WorldGaming, said the class reflects the breadth of leadership developing across technology, regulation, customer experience and market expansion.
G2E Dates to Watch
Global Gaming Expo (G2E) is scheduled for September 28
through October 1 at The Venetian Expo in Las Vegas. The
GGB Gaming & Technology Award winners will be honored
during the event, and the Emerging Leaders of Gaming 40
Under 40 class will be recognized at a networking
reception on September 30 from 4 to 5 p.m.