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Recognising excellence in game development: Nominations open for CasinoBeats Game Developer Awards

Published

3 years ago

January 13, 2023

Reading Time: 2 minutes

SBC is excited to announce that nominations for the Game Creation and Game People categories of the prestigious Game Developer Awards, returning to Malta for their third edition in May, are now open. The nomination period will last until 24 February.

The awards ceremony, which is part of the CasinoBeats Summit conference and exhibition, will take place at the InterContinental Hotel on 25 May. The lavish event that recognises and celebrates the creative and innovative game development teams behind the industry’s most successful titles will be attended by 400 guests.

The CasinoBeats Game Developer Awards will feature 19 categories that honour the top game studios, individual casino games, streamers and game elements as well as innovation and the people who have contributed to the success of the best casino titles of the year. The categories are divided into five main groups:

Game Performance (Slot of the Year, Slot to Watch, Slot Debut, Slot Legacy Title, Slot Collaboration of the Year)
Game Creation (Game Mechanic of the Year, Game Feature of the Year, Game Licensed Content, Game Retro-style, Game Design & Art Direction, Game Music/Soundtrack)
Game Marketing (Streamer of the Year, Innovation in Marketing)
Game People (Product Manager, Game Designer, Game Composer).

SBC has also once again teamed up with SlotCatalog, a casino game ranking and insights platform, to create three data-driven categories for the CasinoBeats Game Developer Awards 2023.

These categories include Outperforming Game Studio of the Year, which will be presented to the three game studios (small, medium, large) whose slot rank has increased the most compared to their position a year ago; Game Studio of the Year, which will be given to three game studios with the highest slot rank over the last 12 months; and Rookie of the Year, which will be awarded to the new game studio that went from having no distribution last year to achieving the biggest impact over the past year

Rasmus Sojmark, CEO & Founder of the event organiser SBC, said: “The CasinoBeats Game Developer Awards are a truly special occasion in my eyes. This ceremony is an opportunity to honour the often overlooked elements of game development, such as the best soundtrack, innovative game mechanics, unexpected success, and the individuals who made it all happen. It’s an event that recognises and celebrates the creativity, fun, and entertainment that make our industry a great place to work.”

The shortlists for the Game Performance and Game Marketing categories of the CasinoBeats Game Developer Awards will be selected by SBC’s independent panel of judges, and the winners will be chosen through audience live voting at the CasinoBeats Summit conference and trade show.

The Game Creation and Game People categories will be open for nominations from 12 January to 24 February and the winners will be decided by the independent panel of judges. The Game People category is a new addition to the CasinoBeats Game Developer Awards that aims to recognise and celebrate individuals who have actively contributed to the success of a top casino product.

The SlotCatalog categories, which are purely data-driven, will not require nominations or go through a judging process.

Last year’s winners of the CasinoBeats Game Developer Awards included companies such as Blueprint Gaming, Habanero, Peter & Sons, Playtech, Pragmatic Play, Relax Gaming and Stakelogic.

This year’s ceremony at the luxurious InterContinental Hotel will feature a welcome drinks reception and a lavish three-course dinner with complimentary beer, wine, and spirits. Tables and individual tickets are available to purchase here.

The shortlists will be announced on 21 March. Nominate here.

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Plaza Hotel & Casino and The Mob Museum launch ‘Wiseguy Getaway’ package

Published

3 hours ago

May 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

plaza-hotel-&-casino-and-the-mob-museum-launch-‘wiseguy-getaway’-package

Downtown Las Vegas bundle includes a two-night minimum stay, Mob Museum tickets and Oscar’s Steakhouse perk; booking window runs through Dec. 26, 2026.

Plaza Hotel & Casino and The Mob Museum said May 18, 2026 they are partnering on a new downtown Las Vegas hotel offer called The Wiseguy Getaway.

The package includes a two-night minimum stay at the Plaza Hotel & Casino, two complimentary tickets to The Mob Museum, a complimentary appetizer at Oscar’s Steakhouse during happy hour, and an “exclusive autographed photo” of Oscar B. Goodman, described by the companies as a reputed mob attorney and former mayor of Las Vegas.

“From being in Casino to the mobsters Oscar Goodman once represented, the Plaza is uniquely tied to this captivating element of Vegas history, so creating the Wiseguy Getaway with The Mob Museum made perfect sense,” said Jonathan Jossel, CEO of the Plaza Hotel & Casino. “The drama and intrigue of the mob era continue to fascinate our guests, so we believe this new hotel package will be very popular.”

“Las Vegas has no shortage of incredible experiences, and the Wiseguy package adds something truly unique to the mix. This Downtown Las Vegas adventure combines world-class history, curated dining and an iconic hotel stay into something you genuinely can’t find anywhere else in the city,” said Ashley Miller, vice president of marketing, communications and sales, The Mob Museum.

Stays must be booked by Dec. 26, 2026, and occur by Dec. 28, 2026. Reservations are available via the Plaza’s website.

The post Plaza Hotel & Casino and The Mob Museum launch ‘Wiseguy Getaway’ package appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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SEON warns World Cup betting surge will expose retention and loyalty fraud

Published

3 hours ago

May 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

Fraud expert George Pace says operators focused on welcome bonus abuse risk missing ongoing “back door” losses during peak volume.

SEON fraud expert George Pace is warning betting and gaming operators to brace for a World Cup-driven spike in account activity that could strain fraud teams and increase losses from promotion and loyalty abuse.

“The World Cup will be one of the biggest stress tests for fraud teams in betting and gaming. Promotion abuse and loyalty abuse already account for a significant share of fraud losses, and that’s before you factor in the World Cup surge. Logins, registrations and transactions will all spike at the same time, while operators compete aggressively with welcome bonuses and free bets.”

Pace said operators often prioritize stopping welcome bonus abuse, but argued the larger threat during high-volume events is repeat exploitation tied to retention mechanics. “Most attention goes to welcome bonus fraud, but that’s only a one-time hit. The bigger risk is retention abuse. It creates an ongoing revenue stream for fraudsters and often goes unnoticed for longer, especially during high-volume events.”

He added that fraudsters may not need advanced tactics if they can blend in while legitimate traffic rises. “When thousands of legitimate, high-value players become active at once, fraudsters don’t need to be particularly sophisticated. They just need to blend in with normal behavior, making detection harder at the exact moment teams are already stretched.”

Pace also pointed to what he described as a growing gap between fraud losses and topline performance for operators. “Recent data shows many operators aren’t prepared for this shift. Already, 57% report fraud losses growing faster than revenue, a gap that only widens during high-volume events like the World Cup. Operators that only protect the front door are going to get robbed through the back.”

The post SEON warns World Cup betting surge will expose retention and loyalty fraud appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Plaza Hotel & Casino and The Mob Museum to offer The Wiseguy Getaway

Published

3 hours ago

May 18, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

Plaza Hotel & Casino and The Mob Museum to offer The Wiseguy Getaway

The Plaza Hotel & Casino and The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, are partnering to offer a special downtown Las Vegas hotel package, The Wiseguy Getaway, as the best way to see Las Vegas beyond the Strip and experience the classic mob era of Las Vegas.

The Wiseguy Getaway package was created by the Plaza and The Mob Museum given the high interest guests have for the mobster era of Las Vegas and how they both uniquely highlight the city’s past. The Plaza’s iconic glass domed restaurant was featured in the classic mobster movie Casino and today, is named after reputed mob attorney and former Mayor of Las Vegas, Oscar B. Goodman. Many of the menu items at Oscar’s Steakhouse pay homage to Goodman’s infamous ‘friends,’ like No Nose’s Mob Meatballs, Crazy Phil’s Onion Soup, and Joey C’s Filet Mignon. Goodman was also the primary visionary of The Mob Museum, which consistently ranks as one of the most unique things to do in Las Vegas and has become the predominant authority on the history of organized crime, law enforcement and the mob in Las Vegas with its unmatched collection of artifacts, immersive storylines, and interactive exhibits.

The Wiseguy Getaway package offers guests:

2-night stay (minimum) at the Plaza Hotel & Casino
2 complimentary tickets to The Mob Museum
Complimentary appetizer at Oscar’s Steakhouse during happy hour
Exclusive autographed photo of reputed mob attorney and former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman

“From being in Casino to the mobsters Oscar Goodman once represented, the Plaza is uniquely tied to this captivating element of Vegas history, so creating the Wiseguy Getaway with The Mob Museum made perfect sense,” said Jonathan Jossel, CEO of the Plaza Hotel & Casino. “The drama and intrigue of the mob era continue to fascinate our guests, so we believe this new hotel package will be very popular.”

Stays must be booked by Dec. 26, 2026, and occur by Dec. 28, 2026. Reservations can be made online at .plazahotelcasino.com/hotel-packages/wise-guy-room-package/.

The post Plaza Hotel & Casino and The Mob Museum to offer The Wiseguy Getaway appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.