(January 23, 2018 – Vernon Hills, Ill.) – Incredible Technologies (IT) announced a partnership with Boyd Gaming to host the Golden Tee® 2018 World Championship June 8 – 10 at Boyd Gaming’s The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. A total of 64 players will compete on 16 Golden Tee machines on The Orleans Showroom stage for more than $100,000 in prizes, including a $20,000 top prize.

The high-stakes tournament brings together two powerhouses of gaming – Boyd Gaming, owner and operator of 24 casinos across the U.S., and Incredible Technologies, creator of both video slot machines and the world-renowned Golden Tee Golf game. Since its release in 1989, more than 100,000 Golden Tee games have been sold, making it the most successful pay-to-play amusement game in history.

In this time, Golden Tee has awarded more than $100 million in prize money in online skill-based contests and live events — positioning itself as one of the original eSports. In 2018, Golden Tee will celebrate its 30^th anniversary, making it one of the longest running video game franchises.

The Golden Tee 2018 World Championship continues a longstanding tradition that began in 1997. Over 1 million players play Golden Tee annually, and tens of thousands of these avid video golfers hone their skills to compete for a qualifying spot at the Big Event. This year’s World championship, which promises to be the biggest and best ever, will be held in front of a live audience and also streamed online. Highly skilled players will compete in a variety of formats across three days to determine a new champion — with the final day set to produce intense, head-to-head competition. The new World Champ will not only win $20,000 in cash, but also become a playable character in an upcoming game update slated for release in October 2018.

“This event is a win for everyone involved, from Boyd Gaming to IT and our most talented Golden Tee players,” said Elaine Hodgson, President & CEO of IT.  “While eSports is certainly a buzz word in business today, we’re extremely proud to have helped pioneer the concept since the late 90’s. To be able to showcase our eSports brand to crossover industries and audiences with renewed interest is energizing to both segments of our business – amusement and casino games.”

“Boyd Gaming is thrilled to host the Golden Tee World Championship, one of the eSports world’s most prestigious events,” said Matt Ryan, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Boyd Gaming.  “The Golden Tee brand is a great fit for our customer base, and we look forward to working with IT to identify additional opportunities to leverage the Golden Tee brand across our properties.”

Qualifying for the championship begins on Feb. 1 on more than 15,000 online Golden Tee 2018 LIVE cabinets and runs through April 23. The final qualifier spot will be filled at The Orleans Hotel and Casino on June 8 in a special ‘Last Chance’ live tournament.