Eric Fisher, Rick Velotta Honored as Recipients of AGEM Memorial Awards Honoring Jens Halle and Peter Mead

AGEM created the unique annual awards program to acknowledge Halle’s and Mead’s lasting impacts on gaming. AGEM formally recognizes the honorees each year at the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in Las Vegas, and this year’s awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 2 p.m. in the G2E Networking Lounge on the exhibition show floor.
 
Eric Fisher’s career has focused on advancing payment technologies in gaming, retail, banking and vending, with a strong emphasis on integrating cashless and digital solutions to enhance operator revenue and player experience. Fisher served as Senior Vice President & General Manager for Crane Payment Innovations (CPI) and under his leadership, the company experienced significant expansion.  In 2017, he oversaw the launch of Crane Connectivity Solutions featuring Easitrax Connect, a breakthrough platform designed to help operators manage the casino floor in real-time providing live visibility to device performance, data analytics and up-to-the-minute insights. Two years later, Fisher was integral in the acquisition of Cummins Allison, enhancing the company’s portfolio in bill validation, cash processing, and digital payment systems. Fisher's tenure was marked by a focus on technological transformation, helping the gaming sector adapt to diverse payment preferences amid evolving consumer behaviors.  His work has consistently focused on driving revenue growth for operators while elevating the player experience through technology. 
 
AGEM Board of Directors Chair Ryan Comstock, who also serves as Chief Operating Officer at Ainsworth Game Technology, said, “Eric Fisher was a mentor to me when I first joined the AGEM Board of Directors. He was incredibly thoughtful and generous with his time, helping me quickly get up to speed. His guidance made a lasting impression on me, and it’s a bit of a full-circle moment to now see him receive this well-deserved award honoring excellence. Eric’s leadership and dedication have had a lasting impact on AGEM and the broader gaming industry, and I couldn’t be more pleased to see him recognized in this way.”
 
Richard N. “Rick” Velotta is a veteran journalist with more than 50 years in the field, with the last 35 years spent in Las Vegas. He currently serves as a gaming-tourism reporter and assistant business editor at the Las Vegas Review-Journal (LVRJ), where he has worked since 2013. A graduate of Northern Arizona University, he earned the school's top journalism honor during his studies. Velotta's award-winning reporting often delves into the economic impacts of major events like the Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup, regulatory changes in Nevada gaming, and industry trends such as esports and casino expansions. Velotta's work has chronicled the transformation of Las Vegas gaming from its 1990s boom to today's hybrid digital-physical landscape, emphasizing regulatory evolution and economic resilience.
 
AGEM President & CEO Daron Dorsey said, “For decades, Rick Velotta has always been a go-to for coverage of our gaming industry in Nevada.  Whether at Nevada Gaming Control Board or Nevada Gaming Commission meetings or reporting on issues affecting our gaming industry, we read Rick’s coverage to help understand and stay connected with the events of the day.  More than that, Rick has always been patient, professional and approachable in his reporting on stories and issues of all shapes and sizes.  Rick’s contributions to gaming have benefited gaming suppliers, operators, decision-makers and the public over the last few decades and we are thrilled to recognize Rick with this year’s Peter Mead award.”
 
Previous winners of the Jens Halle Award are Len Ainsworth, Rick Meitzler, Gavin Isaacs, Tom Nieman, Robert “Bob” McMonigle, Sebastian Salat, Roy Student, Bob Manz, and Steve Sutherland. Previous winners of the Peter Mead Award are Howard Stutz, Roger Gros, Frank Legato, Dave Palermo, David Orrick, Alan Feldman, Frank Fantini, Victor Rocha, and Lori Nelson-Kraft.
 
Halle, a longtime Bally and Novomatic executive in Europe, was most recently CEO of Gauselmann Group’s Merkur Gaming before his untimely passing. Similarly, Mead was the founder and publisher of Casino Enterprise Management magazine.
 
Current gaming professionals were nominated for these memorial awards based on the following criteria that aim to capture the unique attributes displayed by Halle and Mead during their storied careers:
 
Jens Halle Memorial Award Honoring Excellence in Commercial Gaming Professionalism
Nominees must have experience working in the global gaming supplier sector for a minimum of 10 years and possess the following traits and qualities that Jens displayed throughout his working life: Professionalism; business success; international scope; attention to detail and timely follow-up; a willingness to ‘go the extra mile,’ both figuratively and literally; a sense of humanity in an oft-times cutthroat business; a recognition of the importance of a handshake and a fair deal for all; and a dedication to the health of the industry as a whole.
 
Peter Mead Memorial Award Honoring Excellence in Gaming Media & Communications
Nominees must have experience working in the mainstream media, gaming trade press or individual gaming company PR/communications for a minimum of 10 years and possess the following traits and qualities that Peter displayed throughout his working life: Quality reporting and communication with an emphasis on personal contact to generate ideas and gather information; taking risks and questioning the status quo; challenging the industry to consider new ideas; and identifying trusted partners to improve the overall product.