The 14th annual American Gaming Association (AGA) communications awards recognized 10 different gaming companies, casino properties and equipment manufacturers for communications excellence in 15 categories. The awards program honored outstanding advertising, public relations, marketing, financial and corporate communications and were presented at a ceremony held today at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in conjunction with Global Gaming Expo (G2E), the gaming industry’s premier trade show.

“Effective and innovative communication with customers, shareholders, media and the general public are crucial to our industry’s success,” said Sara Rayme, senior vice president of public affairs for the AGA. “The winners have truly done an excellent job sharing the outstanding work that the gaming industry does every day.”

MGM Resorts International and SLS Las Vegas tied for most prizes each boasting three awards. For the second year in a row, MGM Resorts International property ARIA Resort & Casino took home the award for Best Employee Publication for its “Vdara V-daily” employee newsletter, while its parent company was recognized for its Women’s Leadership Conference in the Bettering Communities category, and the Unifying Voice category honored MGM’s HR transformation initiative.

Making its debut in the winner’s circle, SLS Las Vegas was honored in the Increasing Reach category for its brand campaign “Be Legendary.” The company also received recognition for Best Social Media Outreach with “Something Lovely Starting,” an outreach that grew SLS’s Facebook page by 203 percent and its Twitter account by 102 percent.  The Best Print Advertisement award also went to SLS for its “Be Legendary” print advertisement in Maxim magazine.

Also receiving multiple honors was the Austin-based technology company dedicated to making lotteries more convenient, engaging and rewarding, Shoutz, Inc. The three-year-old tech company was awarded Best Mobile Marketing and Best Direct Digital Marketing for “LotteryHUB,” a mobile application bringing two of the largest lottery brands in the world onto a central hub.

Fallsview Casino Resort also won multiple awards including Best Broadcast Advertisement for its humorous television ad, “Caddy,” and in the Leading Edge category for its interactive billboard and mobile application.

Three categories were won by companies that supply or support the casino industry. A previous award winner, High 5 Games was honored for Best Website for its High5games.com redesign. Bally Technologies, Inc. won the Handling Hot Potatoes category, an award honoring masterful handling of Bally acquisition of SHFL entertainment, a highly confidential and time-sensitive acquisition. The Best Annual Report category was awarded to International Game Technologies for its annual report with a single-page, full-screen, minimalist and responsive design.

Other winners include Wynn Resorts Ltd. in the Best Direct Mail category for its public relations campaign, “Wynn Las Vegas Welcomes Popeye,” and Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. in the Making Headlines category for its latest property grand opening “Belterra Park Gaming and Entertainment Center Opens in Cincinnati.”

Awards were presented in 15 categories, and a volunteer panel of professionals in the fields of marketing, advertising, public relations and communications judged communications awards entry.

2014 Communications Award Winners