Slot machine game designer Joe Kaminkow will be the first inductee to the EKG Slot Awards Hall of Fame on Feb. 28. The induction will take place at the first-ever EKG Slot Awards show at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
During his career with International Game Technology, Kaminkow revolutionized the slot industry with his use of licensed titles and exceptional game design skills.
Many of the games he created are still on casinos floors today including “Wheel of Fortune,” “Sex and the City,” and “The Price is Right.” During his time at IGT, Kaminkow was named one of the “Top 10 Most Influential People in the History of Slots.”
Kaminkow is currently a senior advisor for Aristocrat Technologies, where he has continued to develop highly successful branded games, including “Britney Spears,” “Game of Thrones,” and “Big Bang Theory.”
“When we thought of who should be the first inductee into the EKG Slot Awards Hall of Fame, it was a clear choice, Joe Kaminkow,” said Todd Eilers, principal at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, LLC. “Joe has consistently been one of the top game developers in the land-based gaming industry and most recently has created some of the industry’s top social casino games. We are very excited to have him be our first inductee into the EKG Slot Awards Hall of Fame.”
After leaving IGT, Kaminkow founded Spooky Cool Labs, which created social casino games for the emerging social casino market. He utilized a key brand, the “Wizard of Oz” to create a hit social casino game. Spooky Cool was sold to Zynga and he currently remains employed by Zynga and develops social games based on brands like “Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and “Harry Potter.”
Kaminkow is also a member of the American Gaming Association’s Gaming Hall of Fame.
