AGA Launches New Global Gaming Women Website

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today the American Gaming Association (AGA) is launching www.globalgamingwomen.org, a new website for its Global Gaming Women (GGW) development initiative. Launched at Global Gaming Expo 2011 last October, GGW was created to allow women in the international gaming industry to share ideas, discuss best practices and take advantage of mentorship opportunities. This dynamic website has a number of tools designed for women in the gaming industry to connect, with the goal of advancing their careers.

“Over the past year, Global Gaming Women has been connecting both experienced industry leaders as well as up-and-coming professionals,” said Virginia McDowell, president and CEO of Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. and the co-chair of GGW. “With our new website, we can strengthen and broaden this forum of growth and development. Women in gaming now have a new creative tool to advance their careers like never before.”

GGW Co-Chair Patti Hart, president and CEO of International Game Technology, sees the website as “a great way to cultivate the next generation of female gaming industry leaders.”

“GlobalGamingWomen.org will help us increase the number of women in executive gaming positions by creating a collaborative network and providing the necessary resources to serve the women around the world who are part of GGW,” Hart said.

A key element of the new site is “Coffee Break: Gaming Leadership Strategies in 1 Minute or Less,” a video series showcasing female industry leaders offering insight and advice on career and business in a relatable and easily accessible format. Six women are currently featured on Coffee Break, with plans to add more professionals as the site builds a growing library of the brief video interviews. Companies represented by this first group of interviewees include Ameristar Casinos, Inc., Caesars Entertainment Corp., Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc., MGM Resorts International and industry manufacturer Shuffle Master, Inc.

Also to be hosted by GlobalGamingWomen.org—and set to launch in late 2012—is an online mentoring network being developed in conjunction with Shuffle Master. By using self-selected criteria—much like Match.com—female industry professionals seeking career advice and mentorship will be able to connect with experienced professionals in the field willing to mentor young talent.

The site also features details and registration information for upcoming worldwide events hosted by GGW—or other leadership events of interest to women—including new GGW events planned for Global Gaming Expo 2012. A toolkit assisting women in the industry with hosting their own GGW event also is in development.

Additional features of www.globalgamingwomen.org include information and registration links for the GGW webinar series, beginning with a September 18 webinar titled “Making their Mark: Female Leaders of the Gaming Industry,” featuring senior executives discussing their unique career paths. The site also includes book reviews submitted by women leaders in the industry—featuring books on career development, leadership and business that have inspired them. The site will be constantly updated with the latest research and news articles on women in the workforce. Site visitors also will find in-depth information on GGW and how professionals can get involved, including the Global Gaming Women group on LinkedIn.

Global Gaming Women was created by the AGA to support the development and success of women in the international gaming industry through education, mentorship and networking opportunities. GGW brings together women from all segments of the industry in an effort to enrich their professional and personal lives. For more information about the AGA and all our industrywide initiatives, visit the AGA website at www.americangaming.org, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/americangaming and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/agaupdate.