Moody’s ESG Solutions Recognizes IGT for Its ESG Policies in North America

 

If there’s one trend that has gripped the commercial world in recent times, it’s the desire of market-leading brands and businesses to develop sustainable and socially conscious practices.

As a result, many brands have invested in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, which regulate their behavior and set actionable goals for giving back to the community and the natural environment.

This trend is particularly prevalent in the iGaming market, with International Game Technology (IGT) the latest to have its ESG policies recognized.

IGT’s games library includes some of the best online slots in the USA, while you’ll find some listed at https://www.casinos.us/online/slots/. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at IGT and some of their best online casino slots, while appraising how their ESG policies have been rewarded.

A Brief Look at IGT

Interestingly, IGT is among the oldest slot software developers in the world, with a history that dates all the way back to the 1950s.

However, it was in 1981 that the brand first became active in the gambling industry, initially by designing and developing video poker machines for brick-and-mortar casinos.

It also began to pioneer the notion of recurring player rewards and digitized player tracking programs, with this laying the foundation for its move into the online marketplace around the turn of the century.

It should also be noted that IGT introduced the first-ever themed slots in the marketplace, in the form of Double Diamond and Red, Blue, and White. Then came the now iconic Wheel of Fortune in 1996, which remains one of the most popular progressive slots to this day.

Nowadays, IGT’s total progressive jackpot network starts at a seed of £1.5 million, with this having followed on from the brand’s acquisition of US gaming company WagerWorks in 2005. This completed IGT’s transition online, since when the brand has become synonymous with the development of themed and immersive slots that deliver highly competitive payouts.

These include Wheel of Fortune, which boasts a return-to-player (RTP) rate of 97%. This means that you can expect to recoup $0.97 for every $1 wager that you wager through the slot on average, with this faring well in the wider marketplace.

Texas Tea offers a similar rate of return, while the popular Pharaoh’s Fortune slot has a published and verified RTP rate of 96.35%. IGT is also behind many of the best payout online slot games bonus offers, so it continues to play a seminal role in the fast-growing and increasingly global marketplace.

What About IGT’s Award-Winning ESG Policies?

Over time, the company has also blazed a trail for other iGaming brands to follow in terms of ESG policies, while the brand recently announced that it has received an “Advanced” environmental, social, and governance score from Moody’s trusted ESG Solutions.

At the same time, IGT found itself positioned first in the hotel leisure goods and services of North America’s sector lists, highlighting the immense work that the brand has done to constantly improve its social and environmental standards.

The brand’s latest score was a marked improvement from their 2021 evaluation and positioning, while it places IGT in the top 4% of more than 4,800 companies assessed by Moody’s ESG Solutions.

But what is behind the improvement and final ranking? Well, the overwhelmingly positive assessment recognized IGT’s robust commitments to diversity hiring and its environmental strategy, in addition to its work with regard to fundamental labor rights and prioritizing health and safety for its employees.

Certainly, this accomplishment from such a notable ESG group highlights precisely how International Gaming Technology is setting a standard within the much-maligned iGaming industry, where sustainable gaming practices are key to changing long-held and often negative perceptions of the marketplace.

The Bottom Line

This is an important consideration, as delivering the top US online slots alone is not enough to become a leader in the iGaming market in an age where ESG and social responsibility are increasingly important in the eyes of customers.

Investors are also increasingly driven by ESG factors and performance, with this driving a rapid rise in the demand for businesses to provide climate insights.

Similarly, potential employees and top industry talent often prefer to work with sustainable and socially aware brands, with this now one of the primary considerations for people before they apply for a new job.

Put simply, IGT’s proactive and committed approach to meetings its ESG standards continues to have a far-reaching and positive impact throughout the iGaming market, from their only ability to compete and develop cutting-edge games and sourcing necessary investment to the role that they play in presenting the industry in a more positive light.

The recognition from Moody’s ESG Solutions is also helping to establish IGT as a positive ambassador for the global iGaming market, and this will surely encourage competitors to follow suit in the near term.