FiNTEL Sustain rankings 2024: Number 6, Everi Holdings
For Everi Holdings, diversity has been at the centre of its ESG strategy for a few years now. It launched an in-house Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI) in 2017. This provides female employees with access to growth opportunities and connections with likeminded peers across the Las Vegas-based company. Over 165 employees have participated in the programme since its inception.
All WLI members have been encouraged to participate in networking activities with company leadership. They also have access to the WLI-sponsored Mentorship Programme which was expanded in 2022. In a profile published by the American Gaming Association in 2022, Everi said: “WLI members participate in industry educational seminars and external networking experiences, including events through Global Gaming Women (GGW), an organisation dedicated to enriching the professional lives of women in gaming through education, mentorship and networking.”
The company has been named a top workplace in the US’ Top Workplaces USA list for three consecutive years to 2024. The accolade is based on an independent employee engagement survey conducted by Energage.
“The Top Workplaces award is a badge of honour and something companies should be very proud to showcase,” Eric Rubino, Energage CEO, said of the award in April 2022. “The people-first cultures [these companies] have built and nurtured will set them apart in a highly competitive market.”
Diversity across the board
Its diverse culture makes Everi’s organisation unique and worthy of such an accolade. Currently, 33% of Everi’s board members are female and 22% are ethnically diverse. The most recently elected female board member, Secil Tabli Watson, is a member of Extraordinary Women on Boards (EWOB). This is a private membership community for highly accomplished women actively serving on corporate boards.
Meanwhile Eileen Raney, chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee, is certified as a National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) board leadership fellow. She has held this honour since 2018.
Another core facet of Everi’s sustainability pledge is of course responsible gambling. As a supplier in the sector, it is somewhat shielded from the requirements to provide players with self-exclusion solutions. But Everi has an inbuilt offering called the Self Transaction Exclusion Programme (STEP) which works alongside casino self-exclusion schemes.
It enables players to block their access to cash across the company’s network of ATMs, cash kiosks and booth services. The STEP exclusion offering is effective on credit cards, ATM debit cards and checking accounts.
Everi is one to watch in terms of its forward-thinking approach to staffing and culture. Particularly as it merges with International Game Technology (IGT) as part of Apollo Global’s acquisition of the two firms. In November the deal was approved.
Over the next week iGB will be counting down the ten highest ranked companies in FiNTEL Sustain’s Sustainability Plus rating system. Watch FiNTEL Sustain founders Robert Montgomery and Steven Myers share the rationale for creating a gaming-specific rating system in this exclusive interview.