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Winners from Industry best Mobile Games Awards Announced; Tencent win big

Published

5 years ago

July 27, 2021

MiHoYo’s Genshin Impact took home the biggest prize as it scooped Game of the Year at Steel Media’s fourth annual and industry-leading Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards, supported by Game Insight, held last week.

The ceremony saw the action role-playing title also awarded Best Audio/Visual Accomplishment, while Tencent and TiMi Studio Group secured Best Publisher and Best Developer, respectively.

Innovation of the Year went to Niantic for its ingenious reworking of augmented reality hit Pokémon Go for the 2020 lockdown, Pollen VC was voted Best Service Provider, and Supercell’s Clash Royale conquered the opposition to the Best Live Ops trophy.

As ever the event, which in this pandemic-affected year took place later than its traditional January slot and adopted a hybrid live/digital format hosted by London’s Ham Yard Hotel, aimed to shine a spotlight on the work of the top mobile games companies over the previous year.

Further highlights from the night included the Rising Star award, shared – an event first – by Jana and Sham Al Bdour of Sakura Games, Unity continuing its Best Game Engine dominance with a fourth win in as many years, and Jam City CEO Chris DeWolfe joining the ranks of Mobile Legend.

The coveted People’s Choice Award, nominated for and voted on by readers of Steel Media’s leading consumer site, PocketGamer.com, went to Tilting Point’s SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off.

“We believe the MGAs have a vital role to play in recognising the efforts and achievements of the entire ecosystem that makes mobile gaming the best industry in the world,” said Steel Media CEO, Chris James.

“This is doubly important considering the forced disconnects of the last 16 months and also the incredible role that the mobile games industry has paid not just in contributing to the economy and keeping people in jobs, but moreover in keeping billions of citizens feeling a little more connected and engaged.”

As the full winner breakdown below demonstrates, the 22 categories (including three new additions this year) represent firms spanning the whole industry, from the games developers and publishers to the tools companies, service providers, support agencies, investors and recruiters that all contribute towards this $90 billion sector being the largest and most pervasive in gaming.

After the lobbying and shortlisting phases – the biggest and most complex to date – which took place from March to May, the finalists were subsequently voted on throughout June by our panel of 100-plus mobile games experts from every corner of the industry.

Steel Media is hugely grateful to everyone who took the time to submit themselves, their colleagues, company, or contemporaries, as well as everyone who attended the ceremony itself during these tricky times – whether in person or digitally.

Additionally, we would like to thank main sponsor Game Insight, together with Admix, Huawei Ads, Jam City, Scopely and Tilting Point for coming on board as category sponsors – their support helped make the event a success in a particularly challenging year.

And last but by no means least, congratulations to all the finalists – it really was a hard-fought affair this year – and, of course, the heartiest of praise to the winners themselves.

More info on all things PG Mobile Games Awards at the official website: www.mobilegamesawards.com

//Full Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards 2021 Winners List

Pocket Gamer People’s Choice – SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off (Tilting Point)

Best Advertising & UA Service – Unity Ads

Best Analytics / Data Tool – AppsFlyer

Best Developer – TiMi Studio Group

Best GAAS Tools & Tech – Azure PlayFab

Best Audio/Visual Accomplishment – Genshin Impact (miHoYo)

Best Game Engine – Unity

Best Storytelling – Alba: A Wildlife Adventure (ustwo games)

Rising Stars – Jana and Sham Al Bdour (Sakura Games)

Best Tools Provider – Game UI Database

Best Games Industry Law Firm – Sheridans

Best Service Provider – Pollen VC

Best Live Ops – Clash Royale (Supercell)

Best QA and Localisation Service Provider – Amber Studio

Best Indie Developer – Innersloth

Best PR / Marketing Team – Scopely

Best Influencer Marketing Agency – Game Influencer

Investor of the Year – Play Ventures

Best Publisher – Tencent

Best Innovation – Niantic (Pokémon GO lockdown reworking)

Game of the Year – Genshin Impact (miHoYo)

Mobile Legend – Chris DeWolfe (Jam City)

//notes for editors//

ABOUT THE POCKET GAMER MOBILE GAMES AWARDS

The Pocket Gamer Mobile Games Awards are the UK’s leading mobile games awards, established to celebrate the very best businesses and individuals who are driving the $90 billion mobile games industry forward. They shine a light on every part of the ecosystem, from the game developers and publishers through the advertising and monetisation companies, to the tool-makers and support companies that enable the magic to happen. They also pay homage to true industry legends who have made their mark on this industry.

The PG Mobile Games Awards have been created by the Steel Media Ltd, a consumer and b2b technology publisher and events company based in the UK which has over 16 years’ experience covering and connecting the mobile games industry with leading media such as PocketGamer.com and PocketGamer.biz. Steel Media Ltd also organises numerous international events, including the world-renowned Pocket Gamer Connects conference series and the developer-focused Big Indie Pitch competitions.

https://www.mobilegamesawards.com

https://twitter.com/MobileGameAward

For enquiries, please contact [email protected].

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DuelBits says UFC creator campaign delivers 122m verified video views

Published

33 minutes ago

July 16, 2026

Wladimir P.

duelbits-says-ufc-creator-campaign-delivers-122m-verified-video-views

DuelBits has published results from its JUSTIN2026 marketing campaign, saying the UFC-focused activation generated more than 122 million verified video views and contributed to one of the company’s strongest MMA betting events “in recent years.”

The crypto sportsbook and casino operator said the campaign launched ahead of UFC event Freedom 250 at the White House and centred on former UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje. DuelBits framed the partnership as an early bet on Gaethje, before broader commercial interest.

According to the company, the campaign set a KPI to exceed 100 million impressions across owned, paid and partnered media, and ultimately delivered more than 122 million verified clip views via a network of more than 140 creators. The asset mix included a hero film, six short-form cutdowns, behind-the-scenes content and still imagery, distributed via DuelBits’ social channels, MMA publishers, creator partnerships and clipping pages.

DuelBits said the hero content was also integrated into Gaethje’s “Art of Violence” YouTube series. The operator added that the activation drove promotional code engagement and helped convert attention into sportsbook activity.

Jasper Hoekert, Chief Marketing Officer at Duelbits, said: “We wanted to support Justin before everyone else recognised the opportunity. Instead of following the hype once he has already achieved greatness, we wanted to back a champion before anybody else did.

“The campaign wasn’t measured purely on views. Of course, surpassing 122 million verified views and exceeding our 100 million KPI was a huge achievement, but the real success was seeing that attention convert into one of our strongest UFC betting nights in recent years.

“It also reinforced something that’s key to DuelBits as a brand, which is that we don’t do small campaigns. Whether it’s the production quality, creator network, or distribution strategy, we want every activation to show what’s possible when sportsbook marketing is treated like premium entertainment.”

The post DuelBits says UFC creator campaign delivers 122m verified video views appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AI

SCCG Management Launches SCCG Technology, Delivering AI-Driven Solutions to the iGaming Industry

Published

2 hours ago

July 16, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

sccg-management-launches-sccg-technology,-delivering-ai-driven-solutions-to-the-igaming-industry

New division delivers smart, AI-driven technology solutions to gaming operators, suppliers, and ventures worldwide, built on the same stack SCCG uses to run its own global advisory business.

SCCG Management announces the launch of SCCG Technology, a dedicated division built to deliver intelligent, AI-driven solutions to the iGaming industry. Where SCCG has spent three decades advising gaming companies on what to build, SCCG Technology now builds it.

The division launches with a working portfolio, not a promise. Over the past year, SCCG has re-engineered its own global operation around artificial intelligence: automated content and newsletter systems reaching tens of thousands of industry professionals weekly, real-time market and odds data pipelines feeding its prediction-market ventures,
and AI-assisted CRM and pipeline automation across more than 120 active client engagements.

The proving ground is SCCG’s own digital presence, now being rebuilt on the division’s platform: a site that reassembles itself around each visitor and publishes across every channel from one place. An operator in LATAM and an investor in Las Vegas see the same network through different eyes. Content is AI-accelerated but expert-governed: every AI-assisted claim is labeled and traceable to its source, a discipline that matters in a regulated industry. We built it for the most demanding client we have, ourselves, before offering it to anyone else.

The timing reflects a structural shift in the industry. Operators and suppliers no longer compete only on licenses and content; they compete on data, speed, and the intelligence of their customer experience. AI has moved from experiment to infrastructure, reshaping how players are acquired, how content is produced, how markets are priced, and how compliance is managed. Most gaming companies know this. Far fewer have a partner that understands both the technology and the industry it has to serve.

“Every gaming company I speak with is asking the same two questions: what should we be doing with AI, and who can actually build it for us without a two-year learning curve on how this industry works. SCCG Technology exists because we solved that problem for ourselves first. Now we are opening the toolkit to the industry.” – Stephen A. Crystal, Founder and CEO, SCCG Management

SCCG Technology will deliver across five service lines:

Product Strategy and Build: Carrying a gaming concept from advisory whiteboard to working software. Rapid prototyping and delivery of new gaming products and ventures, the capability a strategy deck cannot substitute for.

Data, Analytics, and Market Intelligence: Real-time odds and market data pipelines, prediction-market tooling, and business intelligence dashboards that put operational truth in front of decision-makers daily.

Compliance-Aware AI Content and Marketing Systems: Automated content production, newsletter and campaign engines, and CRM automation built for a regulated industry, AI-assisted output labeled and traceable, brand voice intact.

AI Operations and Automation: Workflow automation and applied AI across the back office, from player-facing support to reporting, compliance preparation, and the operational plumbing gaming companies run on.

Intelligent Web and Digital Platforms: Digital experiences that personalize by visitor role and region, engineered for conversion and structured for both traditional search and the AI answer engines that increasingly drive discovery.

What separates SCCG Technology from a generalist agency or dev shop is the firm behind it. Every engagement draws on SCCG Management’s 30-plus years inside the gaming industry, its regulatory and commercial expertise across dozens of jurisdictions, and a global client network spanning operators, platforms, suppliers, and investors. SCCG Technology does not need the industry explained to it.

The launch continues a deliberate expansion of the SCCG platform. In the past year the firm has established SCCG LATAM with its Miami office, launched SCCG Brazil with dedicated local leadership, and expanded its managed-services offering for casino operators. SCCG Technology is the connective layer across all of it: the division that turns the firm’s advisory insight into deployed, working technology. The model is expert-governed and AI-accelerated: SCCG’s people supply the industry judgment, and the platform supplies the speed.

“The gaming industry does not have a shortage of technology vendors. It has a shortage of technology partners who understand gaming. That is the gap SCCG Technology was built to close.” – Stephen A. Crystal, Founder and CEO, SCCG Management

SCCG Technology operates as a division of SCCG Management, the gaming industry’s global advisory firm. With more than 30 years of experience, more than 120 active client engagements worldwide, and offices spanning North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, SCCG provides end-to-end advisory services across iGaming, sports betting, sweepstakes, tribal gaming, and casino technology.

The post SCCG Management Launches SCCG Technology, Delivering AI-Driven Solutions to the iGaming Industry appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

assurance

eGaming Integrity wins SME News UK Enterprise Award for gambling assurance

Published

4 hours ago

July 16, 2026

Wladimir P.

egaming-integrity-wins-sme-news-uk-enterprise-award-for-gambling-assurance

eGaming Integrity has been named Independent Online Gambling Assurance Provider of the Year 2026 at the UK Enterprise Awards, organised by SME News. The company is based in the Isle of Man and works with operators in regulated online gambling markets.

According to the company, the award recognises its assurance work aimed at helping gambling operators evaluate whether their compliance processes are prepared for regulated market requirements, as regulatory expectations increase around compliance standards and customer protection.

eGaming Integrity said its internal audit reviews assess how gambling businesses operate in practice, including whether procedures and controls meet standards expected by regulators. The company added that the process is designed to help operators identify where controls are effective and where improvements may be needed before issues emerge.

Emma Shilling, Director at eGaming Integrity, said,

“This award recognises the reason eGaming Integrity was created. Responsible operators want to know where they stand before problems appear, and independent assurance provides that outside perspective.

“Our team has seen regulation from both sides, which helps us understand where processes can break down and how operators can make practical improvements.”

Speaking on the accomplishments of the 2026 winners, Laura O’Carroll, Awards Manager, said,

“The announcement of our UK Enterprise Awards is perhaps one of our most anticipated milestones every year, and the 2026 launch is no different. We are truly pleased to deliver our digital magazine and winners list, showcasing such excellence, to our readers again this year. Atop this, to our winners, and from our team to yours, we wish you all a sincere congratulations on your success in this year’s programme.”

The post eGaming Integrity wins SME News UK Enterprise Award for gambling assurance appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.