AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Multimedia Games, Inc. (“Multimedia Games” or “the Company”), a leader in slot tournament systems, announced today that following a nationwide tour of over 30,000 miles to 77 casinos across 17 states, Maria Lindell, who represented Grand Casino Mille Lacs in Onamia, Minnesota, was crowned champion of the 2013 National TournEvent of Champions®, a first-of-its-kind nationwide slot tournament powered by the Company’s award-winning TournEvent® slot tournament system. Ms. Lindell was awarded the top prize of $100,000 in cash and the championship ring on September 25, 2013, during the final event at Lagasse’s Stadium at The Palazzo in Las Vegas and was recognized as the nation’s best tournament player from a field of nearly 200,000 initial entrants nationwide. Other top winners from the final event included:
- 1st Place – $100,000 – Maria Lindell representing Grand Casino Mille Lacs
- 2nd Place – $50,000 – Sheila Ewing representing Newcastle Casino
- 3rd Place – $25,000 – Lawrence Cason representing Lucky Star Concho
“On behalf of Multimedia Games, I’d like to congratulate Maria for her thrilling victory as well as all the finalists who joined us last week in Las Vegas to help make the 2013 National TournEvent of Champions a resounding success,” said Patrick Ramsey, President and Chief Executive Officer of Multimedia Games. “With approximately 1,000 participants, family members, friends, employees and partners in attendance, the final event was filled with incredible energy that created an unmatched atmosphere fitting for this unique event. We believe the National TournEvent of Champions created an entirely new experience for players and provided our participating customers with a powerful marketing tool to create excitement on their slot floors during the in-casino qualifying tournaments.
“TournEvent is a truly innovative, turnkey slot tournament solution that is proven to generate instant floor-wide buzz, higher floor traffic and increased revenue performance when in use. As we look forward to the 2014 National TournEvent of Champions, we are ramping up the prizes, adding a second touring bus and expecting even greater levels of participation as casino operators have the chance to participate not only in the extraordinary excitement of the final event in Las Vegas but also by the in-casino qualifying events over the course of more than four months of non-stop action. We look forward to working closely with our customers to ensure that next year’s event takes the TournEvent of Champions to a whole new level.”
Ronda Weizenegger, General Manager of Grand Casino Mille Lacs, added, “At Grand Casino, we are always looking for opportunities to bring exciting new promotions and special events to our guests. We are thrilled that Maria not only won the Grand Casino Mille Lacs event, but went on to win the top prize at the National TournEvent of Champions Finals.”
Multimedia Games also announced last week the launch of the 2014 National TournEvent of Champions, which the Company expects will ramp up the tournament experience, fun and available cash prizes. Beginning in May 2014, casinos from around the country can bring The Money Man and the excitement of the National TournEvent of Champions to their casinos and give their players a chance to compete for over $500,000 in guaranteed cash prizes and a trip to Las Vegas for the championship event on October 1, 2014. Two TournEvent of Champions busses will crisscross the nation in search of the country’s top tournament player, while bringing the best of tournament entertainment to casinos nationwide and creating a buzz on the casino floors around the in-casino qualifying and finals events.
Linda Trinh, Director of Marketing and Promotions for Multimedia Games, concluded, “The Multimedia Games promotions team created history, as our traveling bus brought the excitement of TournEvent to casinos across the country. We saw an incredible outpouring of enthusiasm among players and casinos for the National TournEvent of Champions and believe the event generated a significant buzz at each of the 77 host casinos. We again congratulate Maria on her victory and hope she joins us next year to defend her title as nation’s best tournament player, as we kick off the 2014 National TournEvent of Champions in May 2014.”
About TournEvent
The Company’s award-winning TournEvent slot tournament system is installed at 188 casinos nationwide as of June 30, 2013, offering industry-leading functionality that has revolutionized the slot tournament experience. It was named “Best Slot Theme” in the 2012 Southern California Gaming Guide Reader’s Choice Awards and was awarded third place in the “Best Consumer Service Technology” category by Global Gaming Business in its 2012 Gaming & Technology Awards. TournEvent provides players and operators with a dynamic and interactive tournament experience unlike any other. With TournEvent, casino operators can switch networked gaming machines from in-revenue live status to out-of-revenue tournament status at the touch of a button – eliminating the hassle of chip changes, machine moves, or separate tournament areas.
Visit www.tourneventofchampions.com or follow the tournament on Facebook and Twitter to find out more about the 2013 National TournEvent of Champions.
About Multimedia Games Holding Company, Inc.
Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Multimedia Games, Inc., Multimedia Games Holding Company, Inc. (NASDAQ: MGAM) (“Multimedia Games”) develops and distributes gaming technology. The company is a creator and supplier of comprehensive systems, content and electronic gaming units for Native American and commercial casinos. Revenue is primarily derived from gaming units in operation on revenue-sharing arrangements. The company also offers and generates revenue from the sale of gaming units and systems that feature proprietary game content and game themes licensed from others. Multimedia Games also supplies the central determinant system for the video lottery terminals (“VLTs”) installed at racetracks in the State of New York. The company is focused on pursuing market expansion and new product development for commercial and tribal casinos and VLT markets. Please visit www.multimediagames.com, twitter.com/MultimediaGames or facebook.com/MultimediaGames, where Multimedia Games discloses important information about the company, its sales, and its business.
About Grand Casino Mille Lacs
Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley are owned by the Mille Lacs Band’s Corporate Commission. The casinos feature gaming, accommodations, dining, conference and banquet facilities, live entertainment, and The Grand Harmony Spa and Grand National Golf Club at Grand Casino Hinckley. The casinos directly employ more than 3,000 people and cover more than 4,000 people with their insurance plan. The Band taxes these entities at 100 percent and utilizes the revenues to provide health care, education, and other programs and services to Band members. The Band also invests in infrastructure and economic development that directly benefit the entire community.
Cautionary Language
This press release contains forward-looking statements based on Multimedia Games' current expectations and projections, which are intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "believe", "expect", "continue", "intend", "plan", "seek", "estimate", project", "may", or the negative or other variations thereof or comparable terminology as they relate to Multimedia Games and its products, plans, and markets are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and projections of future events.
These forward-looking statements reflect the current views, models, and assumptions of Multimedia Games, and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that cannot be predicted or qualified and could cause actual results in Multimedia Games' performance to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, technical, contractual, regulatory, licensing, scheduling or other difficulties in implementing and completing the TournEvent of Champions as well as player and customer response to TournEvent and other company product. Please refer to the Company’s most recent Form 10-K and subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a further discussion of risks and uncertainties. All forward-looking statements made herein are qualified by these cautionary statements and there can be no assurance that the actual results, events or developments referenced herein will occur or be realized. Readers are cautioned that all forward-looking statements speak only to the facts and circumstances present as of the date of this press release. Multimedia Games expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
