Global Gaming Awards: From Asia to Vegas

During the Global Gaming Awards Asia-Pacific presentation ceremony at the SiGMA Asia Summit in Manila, many notable companies took home the most prestigious Awards in the gaming industry. The Asia-Pacific ceremony consistently recognizes and rewards the strongest performers from the region’s gaming industry across the previous 12 months.

Throughout the 2025 event, however, companies with a strong presence within the US market garnered recognition as well. Suppliers such as Aristocrat, International Game Technology (IGT) and Light & Wonder were all present during the luncheon ceremony, creating incredible competition for Awards like Casino Supplier and Casino Product of the Year.

“It’s no secret that some of the key players in the US gaming industry, both on the operator and the supplier side, have found significant success in the Asian region, particularly in markets like Macau and Singapore. If you look at the Shortlist for the Global Gaming Awards Asia-Pacific 2025, you will of course see the likes of MGM Resorts, Sands, Wynn Resorts, Aristocrat Gaming, Light & Wonder, Aruze Gaming Global, Konami and IGT,” Global Gaming Awards Event Manager Mariya Savova said.

“All these companies continue to innovate and invest in creating exceptional customer experiences. In addition, they know how to tweak their offering for people across APAC and for the US & LatAm audiences; so it is natural that we will see a lot, if not all, of these companies recognized in some way at both the Global Gaming Awards Asia-Pacific and Americas.”

Light & Wonder found itself taking home the Casino Supplier of the Year honor, celebrating numerous accomplishments in the first half of 2025 and latter stages of the prior year. Aristocrat represented an extremely close runner-up for the category, while IGT came third for its efforts in the previous 12 months.

Throughout the period, Light & Wonder debuted its latest triple feature game, Dragon Trio, along with Jin Ji Bao Xi Deluxe, which is based on Jin Ji Bao Xi titles Echo Fortunes and Endless Treasure. Additionally, Big Hot Flaming Pots, with two game titles Delicious Delights and Tasty Treasures, also made its debut in the Asia-Pacific region for the casino supplier.

In December 2024, the supplier debuted its Squid Game slot machine at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, following the launch with its official entry into the Brazilian market at the start of 2025. Light & Wonder also made key personnel changes early in the new year, appointing Simon Johnson as its new iGaming CEO and Nathan Drane as the supplier’s next CPO in January and February, respectively.

While new expansion was discovered for the Global Gaming Awards Asia-Pacific Casino Supplier of the Year, Light & Wonder additionally formed key partnerships with well-known operators. On January 16, Light & Wonder announced a new partnership with Penn Entertainment for launches across the state of Michigan, as well as with BetMGM to release its Wizard of Oz online slot game. Perhaps its biggest highlight of 2025 so far, however, is Light & Wonder’s acquisition of Grover Gaming’s charitable gaming assets in February for $850m and officially closed during the second quarter.

For the Casino Product of the Year category, Aristocrat would not be denied a second time, coming up on stage to receive one of the most prestigious Awards in all of gaming. Celebrating its Big Fu Cash Bats product, Aristocrat continued to make waves throughout the industry in the previous 12 months, having been recognized once again by the Awards. Most recently, Aristocrat launched its portrait-format cabinet for casino floors, The Baron Portrait, which builds on the hardware design introduced with The Baron Upright in 2024.

“Congratulations to Aristocrat Gaming and Light & Wonder – two powerhouses in the global gaming industry, on their well-deserved wins at the Global Gaming Awards Asia-Pacific in Manila. Both companies have consistently delivered top-notch player experiences and cutting-edge technology that continue to elevate industry standards across APAC and beyond,” Savova said. “We look forward to seeing even greater accomplishments from both companies in the months to come and we certainly can’t wait to see what new products they have lined up for G2E in October!”

While not made official at the time of writing, Aristocrat could be taking part in the most significant transaction the gaming supplier industry has seen in quite some time, as the company is rumored to be involved in the acquisition of Interblock. The deal’s worth may fall between $1bn–$1.3bn, with a formal announcement yet to surface.

Following a fantastic fourth edition of the Global Gaming Awards Asia-Pacific in Manila, the Awards will be returning for the 12th time to the gaming capital of the Americas during the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) event in October. Indeed, the Global Gaming Awards Americas are the most prestigious and trusted Awards in the industry and have gained respect amongst industry heavyweights, due to the strict rules and procedures put in place.

Ahead of the 2025 ceremony, the Americas ceremony has introduced new categories to continue shining a light on the growing markets and verticals within gaming. In Las Vegas, the Global Gaming Awards Americas will now honor the Casino Services Supplier of the Year, handed to the company which outperforms even the highest of expectations over the previous 12 months. The Awards have also divided the well-known Land-based Supplier of the Year category into both Class II and Class III awards, ensuring all levels of the land-based gaming industry are honored each year. With significant growth seen over the past several months in LatAm, too, the Global Gaming Awards Americas will now be presenting the LatAm & Caribbean Operator of the Year Award.

With the nomination window for the Americas Awards having closed on May 8, operators, suppliers and anyone involved with gaming now await the full shortlist to be revealed on September 8. Prior to then, the Shortlist will be finalized in August, with a panel of over 100 C-level executives deciding the winners and KPMG US independently adjudicating the voting process to ensure full transparency and fairness. At the start of September, the Judging Panel will be asked to cast their votes for a winner and a runner-up across all categories; Judges will be excluded from voting in categories where they have a conflict of interest.

“The industry responded so well to our updated list of categories for the Global Gaming Awards Americas, so I am particularly excited about this year’s event in Las Vegas. The past 12 months represented yet another year of growth for the industry across the US & LatAm so the Judging Panel will certainly have a very difficult task choosing who to cast their votes for,” Savova added.

“Another exciting update is that I will be joined on stage in Las Vegas by KPMG US’ Gaming Leader, Rick Arpin, who will announce this year’s winners. Rick is one of the leading experts and consultants in the industry, and I am very much looking forward to hosting the Awards alongside him.”

At G2E, the vast majority of the gaming industry comes together to share insight and provide a look into what the future will hold for the space, but it’s also a time to celebrate those who managed to outperform even the highest of expectations. As always, having the ability to honor those in the industry during G2E brings a unique opportunity to bring many of the highest-ranking executives together for this incredible affair – all in one room.

The Venetian Resort Las Vegas offers a wonderful space for these executives to come together, as well as for Gaming America to honor the very best performers of the previous 12 months. No matter the year, the Venetian Resort Las Vegas is filled with excitement and anticipation due to not only the presence of numerous high-ranking executives, but the eagerness of watching as the Global Gaming Awards Americas celebrates the vast growth of the gaming industry.

Kirk Geller

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