LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESS Newswire / October 2, 2026 / Casinos.com will host the first live Slots Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Plaza Hotel & Casino on Thursday, Oct. 8, revealing the six slot games that make up the 2026 class.

Now in its second year, the Slots Hall of Fame honors the games that built the modern casino floor. Six titles will be inducted: five selected by the Casinos.com expert panel, and one decided entirely by the players – the ‘People’s Choice’.

The ceremony starts at 1 p.m. in the brand-new high limit slots room inside the Plaza Hotel and will be hosted by Desiree Rodriguez (@daybydaydesiree), the content creator who represented Casinos.com as a poker brand ambassador for 2026.

Alongside the six inductees, a further slate of awards will be handed out, ranging from the deeply serious, Best Slot of the Year, to the gloriously specific, the Toothache Award for the Sweetest Slot of the Year.

Players Pick One Seat in the Hall

Five inductees are sealed by the Casinos.com editorial panel. The sixth is the People’s Choice, and that one belongs to the players.

Voting closed on September 30 after a month-long review process in which players tested six nominated titles and left their verdicts. The 2026 nominees were Gates of Olympus (Pragmatic Play), Big Bass Bonanza (Reel Kingdom), Legacy of Dead (Play’n GO), Dead or Alive (NetEnt), Wheel of Fortune (IGT), and Huff N’ Puff (Light & Wonder).

Last year, more than 400 players rated 12 nominated games, and Dragon Link took the People’s Choice seat with an overall score of 4.08 out of 5. Casinos.com Brand Director Colm Phelan highlighted the need for players to have their say in the Hall of Fame.

“A Hall of Fame that only listens to critics is just a list,” said Phelan “The games in this category have been played millions of times by people who were not being paid to have an opinion. Handing one seat straight to the players is the part that keeps the whole thing honest.”

Slots Hall of Fame Debuts Live Event

The class of 2026 will officially be inducted at a live event hosted by The Plaza in Las Vegas, Nevada. An open event to casino and slots fans and hosted by popular slots creator Desiree Rodriguez.

“Slots get all the love on the casino floor but never enough credit off it. Slots are what introduced me to casinos, so getting to host the first-ever Slots Hall of Fame live event is really exciting. Doing it live, in Vegas, at an iconic casino like the Plaza, is the kind of stage these games have always deserved,” said Desiree Rodriguez.

“With more than 750 machines on our casino floor, slots are an integral part of the gaming experience at the Plaza Hotel & Casino, so we are delighted to host the first live Slots Hall of Fame ceremony,” said Sue Ascanio, general manager of the Plaza Hotel & Casino. “We have seen our slot business continue to grow, so our new high limit slots room offering the latest and most popular games is a fitting setting to celebrate these games and welcome their most dedicated players.”

From Best Studio of the Year to the Bleeding Ears Award

The additional categories are where the Slots Hall of Fame stops behaving like just an industry ceremony.

Alongside standout bespoke awards for 2026 such as the Best Slot of the Year, Best Land-Based Slot of the Year and Best Studio of the Year, players also decide the Toothache Award for the Sweetest Slot of the Year, the Main Character Syndrome Award for Best Slot Character and the Pineapple on Pizza Award for the slot people either love or cannot stand.

“Slots can get treated as background noise in a lot of gaming coverage, which is strange when they pay for most of the building,” said Dan Michalski, Executive Editor at Casinos.com. “These games have designers, composers, sequels and genuine fan bases. A hall of fame was long overdue and doing it in a casino feels right.”

Event Details

  • What: 2026 Slots Hall of Fame induction ceremony
  • When: Thursday, October 8, 2026, at 1 p.m.
  • Where: Brand-new high limit slots room inside the Plaza Hotel & Casino, 1 S. Main Street, Las Vegas, Nev., 89101
  • Host: Casinos.com & Desiree Rodriguez
  • Inductees: Six games. Five expert selections, one People’s Choice.
  • Full nominee list and 2025 inductees: casinos.com/slots/hall-of-fame

About Casinos.com

Casinos.com is a global authority on casinos, gambling culture, and gaming entertainment, reaching millions of readers worldwide. Part of the publicly traded Grandstand Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRSD), Casinos.com delivers industry-leading reviews of online and land-based casinos alongside original journalism, research, and expert guides covering the full casino ecosystem.

The site also supports a thriving community of users who share reviews and insights, a loyalty programme, created International Casinos Day, and hosts the annual International Casino Awards, as well as dedicated initiatives such as Tribal Gaming Month and the Slots Hall of Fame.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including projections or expectations related to the Slots Hall of Fame and Casinos.com. Actual results may differ materially due to various risks and uncertainties.

About the Plaza Hotel & Casino

Located in the heart of downtown Las Vegas, the Plaza Hotel & Casino combines a vintage Rat Pack attitude with modern styling and personal customer service for the ultimate Vegas experience. First opened in 1971 and built on the site of the original Las Vegas railroad depot at 1 Main Street, the Plaza has transformed its historic location into a one-of-a-kind destination for cocktails, gaming, entertainment, and dining. Its glittering porte-cochère is home to the outdoor Carousel Bar that offers handmade cocktails inside a life-sized, animated Vegas-themed carousel setting. The Plaza has nearly 1,000 modern rooms and suites, a classic Vegas showroom, downtown’s only bingo hall, and 30,000 sq. ft. of refurbished ballroom and meeting space. The Plaza brought the rodeo back to downtown Las Vegas with its CORE Arena, downtown’s only outdoor equestrian and multipurpose facility. Guests enjoy a variety of dining options led by the renowned Oscar’s Steakhouse in the hotel’s iconic glass dome overlooking the Fremont Street Experience. The Plaza has a lounge-style sports book, hundreds of slot machines, nearly two dozen table games on an 80,000-square-foot casino floor as well as downtown’s first and only smokefree and social media friendly gaming space. A rooftop pool and recreation deck with private cabanas, hot tub, food truck, and dedicated Pickleball courts provide a variety of outdoor amenities. For more information on the award-winning Plaza Hotel & Casino, visit www.plazahotelcasino.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram and X.

Media inquiries:

SOURCE: Casinos.com

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

Media gallery

About The Author
Casinos.com