GGRAsia – IGT joins global diversity promotion project

IGT joins global diversity promotion project

Feb 21, 2018 Newsdesk Industry Talk, Latest News, World

Global gaming and lottery supplier International Game Technology Plc (IGT) has partnered with an “industry-driven, not-for-profit initiative” to promote diversity and inclusion across the gaming industry.

The All-in Diversity Project, of which IGT becomes a founding member and participant in the project’s inaugural year, “aims to benchmark diversity, equality, and inclusion across the global gaming and betting sectors,” said the firm in a press release on Tuesday.

IGT also said that the project “will provide a year-on-year progress update; highlight successes, challenges and opportunities; and make best-practice recommendations on diversity and inclusion topics for the gaming industry, such as corporate governance, internal policies, recruitment practices, equal pay, employment legislation, unconscious bias and marketing”.

“We need an open discussion on industry-specific barriers to inclusion and diversity, and offer opportunities to improve. Understanding where we are today will inform what we need to do to move the bar and make a lasting impact,” said Kim Barker Lee, IGT’s newly-appointed vice president of diversity and inclusion, in a prepared statement contained in Tuesday’s release.

IGT announced in January the appointment of its “first-ever” vice president of diversity and inclusion. The executive is responsible for the development and implementation of IGT’s “first-ever global diversity and inclusion strategy,” said the firm in a release last month.

“We sit as the industry’s first and only organisation working to help the industry as a collective in terms of diversity and inclusion,” said Kelly Kehn, co-founder of the All-in Diversity Project, in a prepared statement.

“We established All-in Diversity Project, but this initiative should be led by the industry. IGT’s commitment to diversity and inclusion will help serve as a shining example to the industry globally as to leadership on progress toward workplace equality,” added Ms Kehn.

Other members of the All-in Diversity Project include U.S.-based casino operator Caesars Entertainment Corp and online interactive sports betting service provider Paddy Power Betfair Plc.