Gaming association chooses 3 for 2019 Hall of Fame
The American Gaming Association announced the three individuals selected as 2019 inductees to the Gaming Hall of Fame.
Every year since 1989, an independent panel of gaming executives has chosen at least two individuals who have distinguished themselves through significant contributions to the gaming-entertainment industry.
This year, the panel selected Elaine Hodgson, co-founder, president and CEO of Incredible Technologies; Ernie Moody, president of Action Gaming and the creator of Triple Play Poker; and casino developer Stanley Mallin as the 2019 inductees, according to a Tuesday press release from the AGA.
Hodgson founded Incredible Technologies in 1985 in a basement with fewer than a dozen employees. The company created Golden Tee Golf in 1989, and entered the casino gaming market 18 years later. Today, it’s one of the fastest growing video slot game developers based in the U.S., according to the release.
“Under Elaine’s leadership, Incredible Technologies introduced the most successful pay-to-play game in the U.S.,” AGA president and CEO Bill Miller said in the release.
In the 1990s, Moody created several poker games that still perform strongly on casino floors, according to the release. His games and concepts include Triple Play Poker, Five Play, Ten Play, Hundred Play, Spin Poker and more. About 20,000 machines across North America use his patents and inventions.
Moody’s “resilience and innovation changed the landscape of video poker,” Miller said.
Mallin ventured into real estate and hotel development alongside Jay Sarno — one of the 1989 Gaming Hall of Fame inductees. They opened Caesars Palace for $24 million in 1966 and sold the property three years later for $60 million. According to the release, Mallin introduced the concept of “experiential casino properties” with the opening of Circus Circus in 1968.
“Stanley’s contributions to the trend of themed casino properties are ubiquitous,” Miller said.
An invitation-only ceremony honoring the inductees will take place during the Global Gaming Expo gaming convention in Las Vegas later this month.
Contact Bailey Schulz at bschulz@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0233. Follow @bailey_schulz on Twitter.
