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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.

AI in gaming

ZingBrain AI Boosts Hondubet Engagement

Published

2 hours ago

April 9, 2026

Wladimir P.

ZingBrain AI Drives Hondubet Growth with Real-Time Personalisation

ZingBrain AI is reshaping the iGaming landscape by delivering measurable performance gains for Hondubet through advanced real-time personalization technology.

By replacing its manually curated casino lobby with a fully automated, API-driven solution, Hondubet has unlocked a new level of player engagement and operational efficiency. The AI-powered system dynamically adapts content to individual player behaviors, ensuring that each user encounters games tailored to their unique preferences.

Significant Performance Gains Across Player Segments

Data from a controlled A/B test comparing the legacy manual lobby with the new personalized system highlights substantial improvements:

A 25% increase in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) and turnover among newly registered players
A 10% rise in total bets placed by returning users
A 25% boost in the number of unique games explored across the player base

These results underscore the effectiveness of AI-driven personalization in enhancing both user engagement and revenue generation.

From Manual Management to Intelligent Automation

Previously, Hondubet relied heavily on manual processes to manage its casino lobby, requiring constant updates and resource-intensive oversight. According to Julian Pareja Garcia of Hondubet, the shift to ZingBrain AI has been transformative.

The automated system continuously learns from player interactions, refining game recommendations and lobby sections without human intervention. This allows the operator’s team to focus on strategic initiatives rather than routine maintenance.

Smarter Player Experiences Through AI Innovation

Oleg Smolerov emphasized the collaborative approach between the two companies, highlighting a shared commitment to innovation and product excellence.

Rather than static content placement, the AI engine ensures that every element of the lobby evolves in response to real-time data. This creates a more intuitive and engaging user experience, where players are presented with content that feels both relevant and natural.

Aligning Commercial Goals with User Experience

Beyond engagement metrics, the integration also supports Hondubet’s commercial strategy. Through ZingBrain AI’s Game Promotion tool, priority titles can be strategically surfaced within personalized sections.

Crucially, the system evaluates performance continuously. Games that fail to resonate with players are automatically deprioritized and replaced with more relevant options. This ensures a balance between promotional objectives and player satisfaction, maximizing both retention and monetization.

A New Standard for iGaming Personalisation

The success of this integration signals a broader shift within the iGaming industry toward intelligent automation and data-driven experiences. By leveraging AI to personalize every touchpoint, operators like Hondubet are setting new benchmarks for engagement, efficiency, and revenue growth.

As competition intensifies, solutions like ZingBrain AI are poised to become essential tools for operators seeking to deliver meaningful, high-performing user experiences at scale.

The post ZingBrain AI Boosts Hondubet Engagement appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Gambling in the USA

AGS Interactive Announces Launch of Cash Cow Bonus Wheel

Published

2 hours ago

April 9, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

ags-interactive-announces-launch-of-cash-cow-bonus-wheel

AGS yesterday announced the launch of Cash Cow Bonus Wheel marking the North American debut of AGS Interactive’s newest character-driven franchise, now available in all licensed real-money online gaming markets.

The title expands AGS’ stepper portfolio and introduces Bartholomoo the Cash Cow — a fresh, fully marketable character designed to anchor a multi-title franchise. Powered by AGS’ proven math models and player-favorite mechanics, Cash Cow Bonus Wheel delivers a contemporary take on the classic 3-reel stepper experience with energetic game play and an approachable design.

“We are so excited to introduce this innovative, character-driven game to the online gaming world,” said Zoe Ebling, Vice President of Interactive at AGS. “With Cash Cow Bonus Wheel, we are leveraging our proven performance-validated math models to reduce performance risk for operators, while pairing that strong foundation with a deliberate, recognizable character and IP strategy. This approach enables us to create franchise assets built for marketing impact, player delight, and scalable, long-term operator success – well beyond the lifecycle of a single title.”

The launch serves as the first chapter in AGSi’s new Cash Cow franchise, a long-term strategy built on character recognition, scalable assets, and compounding operator value. The franchise roadmap includes a buildable ecosystem designed to span multiple formats, channels, and promotional opportunities.

Additionally, Cash Cow Bounty Board will be available in all licensed real-money online gaming markets April 15, with the Cash Cow 3-pot game to follow later in the year.

For more information, visit newsroom.playags.com.

©2026 AGS LLC. All® notices signify marks registered in the United States. All notices signify trademarks, which are not registered on any country-wide basis. Products referenced herein are sold by AGS LLC or other subsidiaries of PlayAGS, Inc.

The post AGS Interactive Announces Launch of Cash Cow Bonus Wheel appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Latest News

N1 Partners at Search iGaming Conference 2026 in Limassol

Published

7 hours ago

April 9, 2026

Wladimir P.

n1-partners-at-search-igaming-conference-2026-in-limassol

The N1 Partners team will attend the Search iGaming Conference 2026, held on April 16 in Limassol, Cyprus.

The conference will bring together more than 1,200 professionals in SEO and iGaming, including PPC experts, ASO teams, and affiliate programs representatives for networking and sharing insights.

At the event, the N1 Partners team will not only be an active participant but also a conference bags sponsor for guests. This is the part of a comfortable event experience that helps participants focus on networking and knowledge-sharing.

The conference is a perfect place to discuss profitable deals and SEO traffic, as well as learn more about the N1 SEO Traffic Cup, the first tournament in the N1 Traffic Cups global promo series from N1 Partners. The team will explain how to enter the promotion with highest efficiency at the final stage — there’s still a chance to join the tournament until April 30th.

Participate in the largest SEO tournament in the industry this spring and acquire generous prizes!

In addition to the current promo, N1 Partners affiliate managers will be happy to discuss working with any of the 14+ brands in the portfolio, top Tier-1 GEOs, as well as individual payment terms and payment models.