Scott Olive & Charlie Lombardo inducted into the EKG Slot Awards Hall of Fame 

Thank you to our Hall of Fame Sponsors 

https://ekgslotawards.com 

 IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, March 25, 2021 – Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC (EKG) is proud to announce that both Scott Olive and Charlie Lombardo have been inducted into the EKG Slot Awards Hall of Fame (HOF) Class of 2021.  Both Charlie and Scott will be honored in person at the 2022 EKG Slot Awards which is expected to occur in Las Vegas in February 2022.  Scott Olive is the third inductee to the EKG Slot Awards HOF for Game Development while Charlie Lombardo is the first inductee under the newly created category for Slot Operations. 

 “Our Board of Advisors has selected two outstanding individuals to the EKG Slot Awards Hall of Fame,” said Todd Eilers, Principal at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC.  “Both Scott and Charlie have been instrumental in the continued success and overall growth of the global gaming industry.” 

 Scott Olive is a Principal and Founder of HRG Studios in Australia, which makes games exclusively for Aristocrat Leisure.  Scott started his career with Aristocrat in the late 90’s and was instrumental in the company’s successful expansion into the North American gaming market with the introduction of low denom, high volatility video reel games.  Scott also created the widely successful Hyperlink progressive jackpot system with several top performing games including Cash Express, Penny Train, Fa Fa Fa, and King of the Nile.  Scott left Aristocrat in 2007 to Co-found True Blue Gaming, an independent game development studio, which was eventually sold to Aruze Gaming in 2009.   

 After True Blue Gaming was sold, Scott went on to found HRG Studios and shortly after signed an exclusive agreement to develop games for Aristocrat Leisure in 2012.  In 2014, Scott and his studio introduced Lightning Link, which has been one of the most successful game franchises in the history of the gaming industry and currently remains the industry’s top grossing slot title.  Scott followed that smash hit with several more top earning games including Dragon Link (2017), Dollar Storm (2019), and Buffalo Link (2021).  Scott’s games have been critical drivers in Aristocrat’s success over the last decade as the company has more than doubled its market share in the key North American market.  

Scott Olive Recognition Highlight  

 Charlie Lombardo is the first gaming executive to be inducted into the EKG Slot Awards Hall of Fame under the newly created category of Slot Operations.  After a brief stint in the US Air Force, Charlie started his gaming career as a slot mechanic at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.  Charlie quickly moved up the gaming ranks and was appointed SVP of Slot Operations at Bally’s Las Vegas.  Charlie was one of the first operators to open his slot floor to new suppliers working with both vendors and regulators to test new games and products.  Charlie also worked closely with gaming suppliers to develop proprietary games only available for play at Bally’s. Charlie worked closely with Bally Technologies to develop a multi-denom, multi-site progressive jackpot system which eventually led to the creation of Bally’s first Wide Area Progressive (WAP) jackpot system. 

After the merger of Bally’s casinos and Hilton in 1996, Charlie was tasked with designing and setting up the slot floor for the new Paris Las Vegas casino under development.  After a successful opening of Paris the company then known as Park Place Entertainment acquired Caesars Palace. Charlie was eventually promoted to VP of Slot Operations and managed the slot operations for Caesars Palace, Paris, and Bally’s on the Las Vegas Strip.   

 In the early 2000s, Charlie accepted a position with the Seminole Tribe in Florida as SVP of Gaming Operations. His responsibilities included the development of two new Hard Rock branded casinos along with managing the operations of the Tribe’s existing four casinos. Charlie was instrumental in getting a legal Class II gaming system setup and approved by the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) for the Seminole Gaming operations in partnership with Bally Technologies.  Under Charlie’s leadership, the Seminoles significantly expanded their casino operations and have become one of the largest and most profitable gaming organizations in the world.  Charlie also represented the Seminole Tribe of Florida as an Advisory Member to the NIGC tasked with establishing Class II regulatory and classification standards. Charlie remains as a strategic consultant to the Seminole Tribe.  

Charlie Lombardo Recognition Highlight 

 Congratulations to both Scott Olive and Charlie Lombardo as inductees into The EKG Slot Awards Hall of Fame – Class of 2021.  Thank you for your contributions to the gaming industry. 

 This year we have added a special In Memoriam video segment to recognize a hand full of influential gaming executives that have passed away this past year.  These individuals will be truly missed – Bob McMonigle, Sheldon Adelson, and Steve Laman. In Memoriam Recognition Highlight  

 Thank you to our Event Sponsors 

About Eilers & Krejcik Gaming:
Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC is a boutique research and consulting firm focused on servicing the gaming equipment, interactive gaming, and sports betting sectors within the global gaming industry.  Our products and services primarily include market research, company research, and consulting and advisory services designed specifically for land based & online casino operators, equipment & technology suppliers, social gaming operators & suppliers, gaming regulators, and institutional investors. Additional information regarding our research products and advisory services can be obtained calling Todd Eilers at (949) 387-7701, or visiting our website at http://www.ekgamingllc.com. 

2019 Hall of Fame Inductee

Ernie Moody

Ernie Moody to be inducted into the EKG Slot Awards Hall of Fame 

Ceremony to be held on Thursday, Feb 27^th at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, February 7, 2020 – Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC (EKG) is proud to announce that Ernie Moody will be inducted into the EKG Slot Awards Hall of Fame. Ernie will be honored at the 2^nd Annual EKG Slot Awards show held at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Thursday, February 27^th.

“When you think about video poker, Ernie Moody is the first person that comes to mind given his substantial contributions to the gaming industry and specifically the video poker segment of the casino floor,” said Todd Eilers, Principal at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC. “We are very excited and honored to induct Ernie into the EKG Slot Awards Hall of Fame.”

Ernie Moody was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1948 and attended the University of Colorado. After college, Ernie became a stockbroker and he started several businesses including an ice cream shop, pizza restaurant, and an amusement arcade.   Ernie eventually made his way into the Gaming industry when he led an investor group that opened the Gilpin Casino in Blackhawk, Colorado in 1991.

Although starting out on the operator side, Ernie would ultimately make his mark on the gaming industry with the invention of the patented concept of “multi-hand poker” and the ultimate creation of a video poker game called Triple Play Poker in 1995.   After promoting the game for nearly two years, Ernie reached an agreement with IGT to distribute the game in 1997. The game was an instant hit from the start and was a key product in IGT’s portfolio of games for many years with many games still on casino floors today.

In addition to Triple Play Poker, Ernie also invented several additional video poker games over the years including: Five Play Poker, Spin Poker, Super Times Pay Poker, Ultimate X Poker, All-Star Poker, Super-Star Poker and dozens of other unique titles. Ernie’s inventions and products revolutionized the casino floor and the gaming industry.

Ernie Moody will be inducted into the EKG Slot Awards Hall of Fame during the 2^nd annual EKG Slot Awards, which will be held on February 27, 2020 at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. In the coming days our Media Sponsor for the EKG Slot Awards, Fantini Research, will publish an in-depth profile of Ernie and his career in the gaming industry.

EKG Slot Awards Agenda:

Thursday, February 27, 2020

6:00pm – Cocktail Reception

7:00pm – Dinner and Networking

8:00pm – 9:30pm – Awards Show

9:30pm – 10:30pm – After Party

Ticket and Sponsor Info:

Please contact via e-mail to tnorton@ekgamingllc.com if you are interested in attending the EKG Slot Awards Show and/or if you are interested in sponsorship opportunities.

About Eilers & Krejcik Gaming:
Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC is a boutique research and consulting firm focused on servicing the gaming equipment, interactive gaming, and sports betting sectors within the global gaming industry. Our products and services primarily include market research, company research, and consulting and advisory services designed specifically for land based & online casino operators, equipment & technology suppliers, social gaming operators & suppliers, gaming regulators, and institutional investors. Additional information regarding our research products and advisory services can be obtained calling Todd Eilers at (949) 387-7701, or visiting our website at www.ekgamingllc.com .

Event to be held on Thursday, February 27, 2020 at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, Dec 9, 2019— Eilers & Krejcik Gaming (EKG) is excited to announce the award categories for the 2^ndAnnual EKG Slot Awards including new categories for the interactive sector.  In addition to announcing award categories, EKG has also secured several key sponsors for the event. The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is a Platinum sponsor and is hosting the event.  Macquarie Capital is sponsoring the pre-event Cocktail Reception and the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufactures (AGEM) is a Sliver sponsor.   Finally, we note that both Fantini Research and Global Gaming Business (GGB) are Media Sponsors for this year’s event.   

Ticketing & Sponsorship Info

Please RSVP via e-mail to tnorton@ekgamingllc.comif you are interested in purchasing a ticket and/or table to this year’s event or if you are interested in sponsorship opportunities.

EKG Slot Awards Agenda:

Thursday, February 27, 2020

6:00pm – Cocktail Reception

7:00pm – Dinner and Networking

8:00pm – 9:30pm – Awards Show

9:30pm – 10:30pm – After Party

Attire:  Black Tie Attire Suggested

Eilers & Krejcik Gaming Announces Winners for 1^st Annual EKG Slot Awards Show

Event held on February 28^th at The Bellagio in Las Vegas

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, March 4, 2019 — Eilers & Krejcik Gaming (EKG) is proud to announce the category winners for the 1^stAnnual EKG Slot Awards. This event was produced by Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC and is designed to recognize excellence in slot machine game development within the land-based casino gaming industry and social casino sector.  All category winners were announced on February 28^th at the Bellagio casino and hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“On behalf of everyone at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, I would like to thank all award nominees for participating in the 1^st Annual EKG Slot Awards, 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, Macquarie Capital and Fantini Research.” It was a great night with approximately 200 executives from all the major gaming equipment suppliers as well as several of the industry’s largest casino operators and key media representatives.

The land-based category winners for the 1^st annual EKG Slot Awards were determined by the official voting from over 100 qualified slot managers and slot directors representing over 300 casinos across the U.S. and Canadian markets and representing roughly 300,000 total slot machines.  For the Social Casino segment, winners were determined by voting from a distinguished panel of social casino industry experts.  A complete listing of the winners for the 1^st annual EKG Slot Awards is provided on the following page.

Event Photos

http://photos.cashmanphoto.com/eilerskrejcik

Land-based Awards

1. Top Performing Core Video Reel Game

• 88 Fortunes – Scientific Games
• Buffalo Gold – Aristocrat
• China Shores – Konami
• Dancing Drums – Scientific Games – WINNER
• Fu Dao Le – Scientific Games
• Fu Nan Fu Nu – AGS
• Wonder 4 – Aristocrat

2. Top Performing Core Mechanical Reel Game

• 88 Fortunes – Scientific Games – 2018 WINNER
• Blazing 7’s – Scientific Games
• Gold Bar 7’s – IGT
• Red Hot Tamales – IGT
• Triple Double Diamond – IGT
• Wild Wild Gems – Everi
• Triple Red Hot 7s Free Games – IGT

3. Top Performing Premium Game

• Buffalo Grand – Aristocrat
• Dragon Link – Aristocrat – 2018 WINNER
• Lightning Link – Aristocrat
• Monopoly Millionaire – Scientific Games
• Wheel of Fortune: Double Diamond – IGT
• Willy Wonka World Of Wonka – Scientific Games

4. Top Performing NEW Video Reel Core Game

• Dancing Foo – Aristocrat
• Double Blessings – Scientific Games
• Fate of the 8 Power Wheel – Incredible Technologies
• Scarab – IGT
• Star Watch Magma – Konami
• Super Charged 7’s Quick Spin – Ainsworth
• Wonder 4 Boost – Aristocrat – 2018 WINNER

5. Top Performing NEW Mechanical Reel Core Game

• Diamond Jewels 2x3x4x5x – Aristocrat
• Dragons Luck – Everi
• Easy Riches – Everi
• Quick Hit Triple Blazing 7s Super Wheel – Scientific Games – 2018 WINNER
• Triple Double Diamond Progressive Free Games – IGT

6. Top Performing NEW Premium Game

• Dragon Link: Happy and Prosperous – Aristocrat – 2018 WINNER
• James Bond: Casino Royal – Scientific Games
• Lightning Zap – Everi
• Solstice Celebration Triple Sparkle – Konami
• Timber Wolf Grand – Aristocrat
• Ultimate Fire Link: China Street – Scientific Games
• Wheel of Fortune: Triple Gold Gold Spin – IGT

7. Top Performing NEW Cabinet – Core

• Concerto Crescent – Konami
• CrystalDual 27 – IGT
• Helix Xt – Aristocrat
• Infinity V55 – Incredible Technologies
• Twinstar J43 – Scientific Games – 2018 WINNER

8. Top Performing NEW Cabinet – Premium

• Concerto Opus – Konami
• Gamefield 2.0 – Scientific Games
• MegaTower – IGT – 2018 WINNER
• Relm XL – Aristocrat
• Twinstar V75 – Scientific Games

9. Top Performing 3^rd Party IP Branded Game

• James Bond: Casino Royal – Scientific Games
• Gentlemen prefer Blondes: Starring Marilyn Monroe – IGT
• Monopoly Hot Shot – Scientific Games
• Tarzan King of The Jungle – Aristocrat
• Wheel of Fortune Triple Red Hot 7s Gold Spin – IGT – 2018 WINNER

10. Top Performing Proprietary Branded Game

• Buffalo Grand – Aristocrat
• Colossal Diamonds – AGS
• Dragon Link – Aristocrat – 2018 WINNER
• Lightning Link – Aristocrat
• Money Rain Deluxe – Incredible Technologies
• Riches with Daikoku Triple Sparkle – Konami
• Ultimate Fire Link: China Street – Scientific Games

11. Top Performing Electronic Table Game (ETG)

• Interblock – Roulette – 2018 WINNER
• IGT – Roulette
• Aruze – Craps
• Interblock – Baccarat
• Alfastreet – Roulette
• Scientific Games – Prism Lightning Launch Roulette
• Scientific Games – Fusion Blackjack

12. Top Performing Video Poker game

• All Star Poker 2 – IGT
• GameKing – IGT
• Match Card Draw Poker – Scientific Games
• Super Star – IGT
• Ultimate X – IGT – 2018 WINNER

13. Top Performing Skill game

• Match 3Volution – Gamblit – 2018 WINNER
• Nothin’ but Net 2 – GameCo
• Lucky Karts – Synergy Blue
• Beat Square – Konami

14. Most Improved Supplier – Core

• AGS – 2018 WINNER
• All Suppliers Considered

15. Most Improved Supplier – Premium

• Aristocrat – 2018 WINNER
• All Suppliers Considered

16. Best Overall Supplier of Slot Content

• Aristocrat – 2018 WINNER
• All Suppliers Considered

Social Casino Awards

17. Best New Social Slot Game

• Confetti Casino – Fort Mason Games
• Lightning Link – Product Madness/Aristocrat – 2018 WINNER
• MONOPOLY Slots – Scientific Games
• Royal Charm Slots – PlayStudios

18. Best Use of Land-Based Content in a Social Slot Game

• DoubleDown Casino featuring IGT content (published by Double Down Interactive)
• Heart of Vegas featuring Aristocrat content (published by Product Madness)
• High 5 Casino featuring High 5 Games content (published by High 5 Games)
• Jackpot Party Casino featuring SciGames content – Scientific Games – 2018 WINNER
• my KONAMI featuring Konami content (published by PlayStudios)

19. Most Innovative Social Slot Game

• Huuuge Casino – Huuuge Games
• MONOPOLY Slots – Scientific Games
• POP! Slots – PlayStudios – 2018 WINNER
• Scatter Slots – Murka
• Willy Wonka Slots – Zynga

20. Best B2B Social Slot Company

• AGS
• GAN – 2018 WINNER
• Greentube / Novomatic
• Ruby Seven Studios
• Scientific Games

21. Top Social Casino Company

• Aristocrat
• Huuuge Games
• Playtika – 2018 WINNER
• PlayStudios
• Scientific Games

EKG Hall of Fame

• Joe Kaminkow – 2018 Inductee

The EKG Slot Awards – Land Based Casino Advisory Board

Skyelar Perkins – is Senior Director of Slot Operations for the Choctaw Casinos & Resorts.  Skyelar oversees the slot operations across 22 individual properties in Southeastern Oklahoma totaling approximately 10,000 slot machines.  The Choctaw’s flagship property is located in Durant, OK and has 4,300 slot machines and is one of the largest casinos in North America.

Mike Laubach – is the Corporate VP of Slot Operations for Boyd Gaming Corporation.  Mike oversees the slot operations for 29 individual properties across 10 different states totaling 38,000 slot machines.  Boyd Gaming is one of the largest casino operators in the world in terms of both revenue and number of slot machines installed.

Roger Pettersson – is the Vice President of Corporate Slot Operations for Station Casinos.   Roger oversees the slot operations across 21 individual casinos with roughly 22,000 slot machines.  Station Casinos (or now called Red Rock Resorts) is the largest Las Vegas based locals casino operator in the state of Nevada.

Todd Eilers – is a principle at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, where he is responsible for leading all research and consulting services related to the Gaming Equipment & Technology sector within the casino gaming industry.  Todd created the gaming industry’s largest slot survey tracking industry demand and market share trends and is one of the leading voices in the Gaming Equipment sector.

The EKG Slot Awards – Social Casino Advisory Board

Lior Shiff – is an entrepreneur and active investor in early stage companies. He is currently the Co-Founder & CEO and of Tripledot Studios, a mobile game studio based in London. Previously he was the Co-founder and CEO of Product Madness, a leading social casino company that was sold to Aristocrat.

Brett Nowak – is the Founder & CEO of Liquid & Grit, a leading provider of product insight and business intelligence reports for the social casino gaming industry. Previously he worked at Zynga as a Lead Product Manager and Blue Shell Games as a Director of Product.

Niko Vuori –  is a proven entrepreneur with a passion for consumer products and technology. He is currently the Founder & CEO of Drivetime, which is developing next generation of interactive entertainment for drivers. He was previously Co-Founder & COO of Rocket Games, a social casino company that was sold to Penn National Gaming in 2016.

Lloyd Melnick – is a Gaming industry veteran with over 20 years of experience. He is currently Director of StarsPlay (The Stars Group), where he is responsible for building and leading social casino, slots, and poker products. He has previously worked for Zynga, Spooky Cool Labs, and The Walt Disney Company.

Adam Krejcik – is a principle at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, where he is responsible for leading all research and consulting services related to the interactive gaming industry. He has become one of the leading voices in the social casino industry and his quarterly research reports have become the gold standard.

Thank you to our Sponsors

About Macquarie Capital

Macquarie Capital is the advisory, capital markets and principal investment arm of Macquarie Group. Macquarie Capital provides strategic M&A and capital raising advice as well as partnering with clients by investing capital into their projects and companies. Globally Macquarie Capital focuses on six core sectors: infrastructure, utilities and renewables; real estate; telecommunications, media, entertainment and technology; resources; industrials; and financial institutions.

About Fantini Research

Fantini Research publishes e-dailies and information services for investment professionals and corporate executives. Fantini also performs research projects on request and offers an advisory service, Gaming Investment Research.  Additional information regarding Fantini research products and services can be obtained calling Ashley Diem at 302-730-3793, or visiting the company’s website at www.fantiniresearch.com.

About Eilers & Krejcik Gaming:

Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC is a boutique research and consulting firm focused on servicing the gaming equipment, interactive gaming, and sports betting sectors within the global gaming industry.  Our products and services primarily include market research, company research, and consulting and advisory services designed specifically for land based & online casino operators, equipment & technology suppliers, social gaming operators & suppliers, gaming regulators, and institutional investors. Additional information regarding our research products and advisory services can be obtained calling Todd Eilers at (949) 387-7701, or visiting our website at www.ekgamingllc.com .