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Betsson, bet365 and Betradar celebrate triple successes at SBC Awards 2021

Published

4 years ago

December 16, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Betsson Group, bet365, Evolution, Betradar and GoldenRace were among the 34 companies to celebrate victories at last night’s SBC Awards 2021 ceremony at Evolution London.

Hosted by Kirsty Gallacher and World Cup winner Marcel Desailly, the eighth edition of the SBC awards brought together an audience of betting and gaming industry professionals to recognise the achievements of the top-performing operators, affiliates and suppliers.

The glittering ceremony culminated in bet365 extending its dominance in the Sportsbook of the Year category by being named winner for the eighth consecutive time, having earlier collected the Best Affiliate Programme and Best Mobile Operator App prizes.

Betsson Group also scored a hat-trick of successes, landing the coveted Casino Operator of the Year title, along with the Socially Responsible Sportsbook and, for its RaceBets brand, the Racing Sportsbook trophies.

Joining the big brand operators in achieving three successes was Betradar, with victories in the Platform Provider of the Year, Live Streaming Product / Supplier, and Sports Data Product categories.

Golden Race doubled up with wins in the Land-Based Betting & Gaming Product and Virtual Sports Supplier categories, while Evolution enjoyed twin triumphs as it picked up the Innovation in Casino Entertainment and Live Casino Supplier gongs.

The event also honoured some of the CEOs who have been integral to the continuing success of the industry throughout the turbulent conditions of the past 12 months. Yolo Group’s Maarja Pärt, Sportradar’s Carsten Koerl, and Evoplay’s Ivan Kravchuk were presented with Leader of the Year awards.

Andrew McCarron, Managing Director at SBC, said: “Huge congratulations to all the winners selected by our independent judging panels. We had our largest ever number of entries this year and the overall quality highlighted that betting and gaming remains one of the world’s most forward-thinking industries.

“To succeed against that standard of competition required a truly outstanding performance and that is what the judges identified in every single winner. From operational excellence and outstanding commitment to customer service through to exceptional innovation and creativity in product development, all the SBC Awards winners demonstrated something special over the past year.”

The victors in the operator section of the awards also included Ladbrokes (Football Sportsbook of the Year), Betway Group (Esports Operator of the Year), Kaizen Gaming (Marketing Campaign of the Year) and 1xBet (Sponsorship of the Year).

Mr Green took the prize for Socially Responsible Casino of the Year, while Karamba landed the Innovation in Casino & Gaming Entertainment prize and Hero Gaming collected the Employer of the Year trophy.

In addition to recognising the achievements of the big names in the industry, the SBC Awards honoured some of the best challenger brands. The Rising Star prizes were presented to Virgin Bet (Sports Betting), Glitnor Group (Casino), Sports IQ Analytics (Sports Betting Innovation / Software) and Swintt (Casino Innovation / Software).

The affiliates section saw Better Collective named Sports Affiliate of the Year and Catena Media secure the equivalent Casino award, while Raketech Group triumphed in the Affiliate Product Innovation category.

In the supplier section of the awards, the fiercely contested Casino / Slots Developer of the Year title went to Pragmatic Play, while Mindway AI won Industry Innovation of the Year.

Pronet Gaming was named Sportsbook Supplier of the Year, Genius Sports collected the Living Betting Product prize, Highlight Games triumphed in the Virtual Sports Innovation category and Pinnacle Solution celebrated the Esports Supplier of the Year title.

There were also victories for Optimove (Acquisition & Retention Partner), Shape Games (Innovation in Mobile), Square in the Air (Marketing & Services Provider of the Year), BetConstruct (Multi-Channel Supplier) and White Hat Gaming (White Label Supplier).

Trustly was awarded the Payment Solution of the Year title, while Nuvei triumphed in the Payment Innovation category, 1account took the Fraud & Compliance Solution honour and OKTO won the Mobile Payment Solution trophy.

McCarron added: “The ceremony was a great night, with the awards, entertainment and hospitality combining to make it a fantastic end-of-year celebration for the betting and gaming industry.

“Events like this are made possible by the ongoing support of our sponsors and partners, so I’d like to thank BetConstruct, Kaizen Gaming, Digitain and GoldenRace for being headline sponsors for the SBC Awards and all the other companies that we continue to work with. And a special mention to our own SBC team who have done a phenomenal job over a very difficult year.”

The SBC Awards 2022 will move to Spain and are scheduled to take place on 22 September, the final day of SBC Summit Barcelona, the global betting and igaming conference and exhibition.

Akhil Sarin

Akhil Sarin Joins Bet It Drives: Stake’s Growth and What iGaming Gets Wrong About Marketing

Published

29 minutes ago

February 19, 2026

Wladimir P.

akhil-sarin-joins-bet-it-drives:-stake’s-growth-and-what-igaming-gets-wrong-about-marketing

Season 4 of Bet It Drives is back, and Episode 2 features Akhil Sarin, CMO at Easygo and the marketing and partnerships mastermind behind Stake.

Sarin dives into the realities of iGaming marketing, sharing how some of the most cost-effective campaigns can deliver massive impact—including a low-budget idea that went viral with over 16 billion impressions.

Key insights from the episode include:

Stake’s most valuable partnerships and why they worked
What sets their sponsorship strategy apart
Common mistakes iGaming marketing teams make
The one thing Sarin wishes teams focused more on
Biggest red flags and warning signs in partnerships
Leadership lessons and internal trust challenges

The episode also features a fun “Confess or Call” segment, highlighting a late-night call to a senior exec about a high-stakes, unconventional idea—a true test of trust and creativity.

“This season is about open conversations, and Akhil was straight with us,” said Yevhen Krazhan, CSO at GR8 Tech and host of Bet It Drives. “iGaming marketers will rethink spend, partnerships, and what truly drives growth after this episode.”

Season 4 also includes a CEO debate with Cedomir Tomic (Founder, Alea) and Oleksandr Feshchenko (CEO, GR8 Tech), along with upcoming insights on crypto payments in iGaming and esports betting strategies.

Watch or listen to Season 4, Episode 2 on:

The post Akhil Sarin Joins Bet It Drives: Stake’s Growth and What iGaming Gets Wrong About Marketing appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

ELA Games

SiGMA Eurasia: ELA Games MD Marharyta Yerina Talks Progression Milestones in Dubai

Published

29 minutes ago

February 19, 2026

Wladimir P.

sigma-eurasia:-ela-games-md-marharyta-yerina-talks-progression-milestones-in-dubai

At SiGMA Eurasia on February 11, Marharyta Yerina, Managing Director of ELA Games, joined the panel “Progress Paths: Making Milestones Matter” to discuss innovative approaches to player retention and engagement. The session, moderated by Tim French (Commercial Manager, Greco Fast Track), explored how studios can design progression systems that go beyond conventional loyalty schemes.

Marharyta emphasized that maintaining player interest often comes from subtle design choices rather than overt progress bars. She highlighted how optimizing volatility and feature frequency creates natural anticipation, keeping players engaged through gameplay rhythm. She also advocated for micro-goals—short, intra-session milestones—and stressed the importance of audio-visual feedback to make moments feel rewarding in real time, rather than relying on long-term VIP systems alone.

The panel featured diverse perspectives from the industry, including Alena Tsuranova (CCO, Megafair) and Bulat Fakhrutdinov (Head of Partnerships, Betronic Software), who discussed how commercial strategies and partnerships shape the player journey.

Marharyta’s participation underscores ELA Games’ commitment to player-centric design and demonstrates how the studio’s “For Players, By Players” ethos translates into creating games that keep audiences coming back, while fostering long-term value in partnerships.

The post SiGMA Eurasia: ELA Games MD Marharyta Yerina Talks Progression Milestones in Dubai appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Blueprint Gaming

Blueprint Gaming unleashes Frankenstein’s Fortune blending dynamic modifiers with multi-path bonus offering

Published

29 minutes ago

February 19, 2026

Wladimir P.

blueprint-gaming-unleashes-frankenstein’s-fortune-blending-dynamic-modifiers-with-multi-path-bonus-offering

Blueprint Gaming has launched Frankenstein’s Fortune, a feature-rich 5×3 slot that combines an iconic theme with layered mechanics designed to drive sustained player engagement and strong operator performance in 2026.

Set in a vibrant laboratory inspired by Mary Shelley’s legendary creation, the game revolves around a Collect mechanic enhanced by dynamic in-game modifiers and a three-path bonus system.

In the base game, Cash symbols appear on reels two to five and are collected whenever a Collect symbol lands on reel one. The Frankie Time feature can randomly trigger one of four modifiers—Cash Reel, Wild Add, Lose to Win, or Bonus Boost—offering guaranteed wins or bonus opportunities.

The bonus round is activated by coloured scatter symbols filling their corresponding jars, each unlocking a unique feature:

Red Jar – Frankie Spins: A 2×2 Special Collect symbol stays in view; landing symbols are awarded, and Level Up symbols expand the Collect area and grant extra spins.
Blue Jar – Cash Spins: Extra Cash and Collect symbols are active, and any Collect landing on reel one applies a multiplier, boosting payout potential.
Green Jar – Cash Trail: A multiplier trail starts with a wheel spin, ending with Frankie’s Big Money, awarding a random cash prize between 50x and 1000x the stake.

Players can also activate Express Bet at 0.5x the base stake to increase bonus trigger chances.

Jo Purvis, Director of Marketing, PR and Events at Blueprint Gaming, commented: “Frankenstein’s Fortune balances base game engagement with feature depth. Frankie Time modifiers keep gameplay lively, while the three-path bonus offers variety and replayability. It’s a versatile addition for operators, appealing to multiple player types in a single title.”

With its layered mechanics, dynamic modifiers, and multi-path bonuses, Frankenstein’s Fortune delivers a thrilling, feature-rich experience that strengthens operator lobbies and captures player attention.

The post Blueprint Gaming unleashes Frankenstein’s Fortune blending dynamic modifiers with multi-path bonus offering appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.