Industry Awards
Meet the Nominees: SBC Awards 2024 Shortlists Revealed
SBC has announced the shortlists for the 11th edition of the SBC Awards 2024, the first ceremony to take place in Lisbon, as part of the inaugural SBC Summit.
This year’s shortlist, once again, highlights the outstanding achievements of leading operators, affiliates, and suppliers across all industry verticals, including payments, marketing, platform providers, and esports. The coveted awards ceremony will take place on the evening of Thursday, 26th September at the MEO Arena, on the final day of SBC Summit.
Notable nominees include Betsson Group and SOFTSWISS, each garnering an impressive eight nominations, with EveryMatrix and OpenBet following closely behind with six nominations each. Additionally, Campeón Gaming, Genius Sports, BetConstruct, Sportradar, and Soft2Bet all boast five nominations in their respective categories.
Building on the incredible success of the 2023 edition in Barcelona, this year’s awards ceremony received a record-breaking number of applications, providing ample deliberation for the independent roster of judges as they shortlisted the 38 categories.
In the Affiliate categories, both FairPlay Sports Media and Kingbet Media are nominated for the Affiliate Product Innovation and Sports Affiliate of the Year awards. Meanwhile, Mr Gamble and Slotsjudge have each been nominated for the Affiliate Product Innovation and Casino Affiliate of the Year awards. Better Collective will seek to retain their title in the Sports Affiliate of the Year category for the third consecutive year.
In the Operator awards, Betsson Group has been nominated for an impressive six out of ten categories as they strive to protect their titles for both the Marketing Campaign of the Year and Innovation in Casino & Gaming Entertainment awards.
Additionally, Betsson Group will be competing against defending champions Kaizen Gaming for the coveted Casino Operator of the Year award, bet365 for the Best Affiliate Program and Sportsbook Operator of the Year awards, and seven other operators for the newly introduced Operator of the Year – Large award.
This year’s ceremony will also introduce two more operator categories. In addition to the Operator of the Year – Large award, there will be the Operator of the Year – Medium and Operator of the Year – Small awards.
In the Payment & Compliance categories, IDnow and Nuvei will return to defend their titles of Fraud & Compliance Solution of the Year and Payment Solution of the Year, respectively. Monnet Payment Solutions, OKTO, Pagsmile and Pay4Fun are among the brands battling for the esteemed Payment Innovation of the Year award.
The Supplier Awards will feature 19 distinct categories, covering a wide range of verticals including casino/slots, esports, sportsbook, mobile, land-based, live betting, marketing and services, sports data, and platform providers, to name a few.
Amusnet, Pragmatic Play, Playson, ELA Games, and Pascal Gaming are among the brands nominated for the prestigious Casino/Slots Developer of the Year award. This year, to better represent the breadth of industry offerings, the award has been expanded into three new subcategories: Large, Medium, and Small.
The Sportsbook Supplier of the Year category will see Digitain compete against 14 industry peers to retain the title, while OpenBet will face 15 brands in a bid to defend their Platform Provider of the Year award.
Shining a light on the future of the industry, the awards ceremony will feature four ‘Rising Star’ categories: Rising Star in Casino, Rising Star in Casino Innovation / Software, Rising Star in Sports Betting Innovation / Software and the newly established Rising Star in Sports Betting awards.
In the Operator & Supplier Awards, LiveScore Group, PIN-UP Global, Playson, and SOFTSWISS are among the contenders for the Employer of the Year award. Meanwhile, Entain Foundation U.S. will compete against 12 industry heavyweights to hold onto the Socially Responsible Initiative of the Year award.
The complete list of shortlisted companies is available on the SBC Awards website.
The post Meet the Nominees: SBC Awards 2024 Shortlists Revealed appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Soft2Bet has won the Innovation in Casino Entertainment award at the SBC Awards 2025 for its MEGA (Motivational Engineering Gaming Application) solution, recognising the product’s impact on player experience.
Soft2Bet is continuously reshaping the industry through its cutting-edge technologies, bridging the gap between casino and casual gaming. Rather than relying on bonus-heavy acquisition, Soft2Bet unites rigorous compliance and AML policies with fast-moving product innovation and a start-up spirit, bringing leadership and talent together behind MEGA to deliver compliant growth and stronger retention.
iGaming Powered by Entertainment
In 2024, Soft2Bet was recognised for innovation across its platform, including its casino and sportsbook products. This year, Soft2Bet has demonstrated that gamification is entertainment, offering players meaningful progression, real choice and localised experiences. In challenging European markets, Soft2Bet’s brands act as a proof of concept with their successes, demonstrating higher retention, stronger engagement, and sustainable performance, achieved responsibly and without having to rely on excessive bonus offers.
One gamified system for market growth
Gamification in iGaming has evolved from a simple marketing add-on to a core design philosophy that shapes the entire player journey. The Innovation in Casino Entertainment Award recognises this industry-wide shift and sets a clearer standard for the sector. Soft2Bet’s MEGA gamification engine transforms this concept into a unified engagement layer across the casino, fully configurable by market and grounded in missions, seasonal events, and transparent rewards. The result is not only better entertainment and stronger loyalty among players, but also a sustainable model that aligns with local licensing requirements and supports long-term growth.
Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC, commented: “Soft2Bet is a shining example of innovation in action, so massive congratulations on winning the Innovation in Casino Entertainment award. Their MEGA product is a true benchmark for innovation, and their role in leading the Gamification Academy, which we introduced this year at SBC Summit, shows that they are not only innovators but also knowledge leaders who willingly share their expertise with the entire industry. Their work continues to raise the standard for what entertainment can and should be, so big kudos to the team.”
Oksana Tsyhankova, CCO at Soft2Bet, said: “Soft2Bet team accepts the challenge of delivering the best customer experience and bringing new entertainment to the iGaming industry. We are proving it by aligning leaders and talent across product, compliance and B2B, and by applying strong design, localisation and brand-building expertise”.
Beyond its award-winning product innovations, Soft2Bet also supported the Legends Charity Game, helped to facilitate the Gamification Academy that managed to gather the full audience hall of operators, and judged the inaugural First Pitch competition to bring a fresh layer of interactivity to the event and create something greater, contributing to the industry.
The post Soft2Bet recognised as Innovator in iGaming Entertainment by SBC Awards 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Successful participation highlighted by strong visibility, new launches, and industry recognition
DATA.BET, a trusted sportsbook solution supplier, delivered a strong performance and showcased an extended product range in Lisbon last week. The company’s stand became one of the most striking in the hall, and as the exhibition concluded, DATA.BET was recognized with the Rising Star in Sports Betting Innovation / Software nomination at the SBC Awards 2025.
From September 16–18, DATA.BET presented its updated portfolio covering sports, esports, and virtual sports to operators and platform providers. The stand attracted steady attention, with visitors exploring the company’s latest product updates — including creatively designed Widgets, Bet Builder, and Hot Bundles for optimized express betting.
This year, DATA.BET brought its largest on-site team to date, representing multiple areas of expertise. The expanded presence enabled the company to give visitors a comprehensive view of its end-to-end solutions and detailed technical and business insights tailored to operator needs. Throughout the summit, the team engaged in productive meetings with partners and industry experts, participated in media interviews, and facilitated valuable networking opportunities.
The company’s participation culminated in recognition at the prestigious SBC Awards 2025, where DATA.BET was honored as the Rising Star in Sports Betting Innovation / Software. Securing this category highlights DATA.BET’s rapid growth and validates its strategic expansion from esports foundations into a fully integrated sportsbook portfolio.
“SBC Summit in Lisbon was a milestone for DATA.BET — our first event where we officially presented our sportsbook solution and expanded portfolio,” said Natalie Loshatynska, Head of PR & Marketing at DATA.BET. “It was a valuable opportunity to demonstrate our finalized product range, integration capabilities, and powerful Widgets. Closing the event with a nomination for the Rising Star in Sports Betting Innovation / Software was a proud moment for our team — a recognition of our continuous focus on technology and commitment to enhancing the product.”
The post DATA.BET Makes a Mark at SBC Summit 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
GR8 Tech landed heavyweight wins on all fronts at SBC Summit 2025, taking home the prestigious Platform Provider of the Year award and drawing record-breaking crowds with its Heavyweight Club activation with Ready to Fight, which brought undisputed world champion Oleksandr Usyk to the summit floor.
Heavyweight Presence: Super Stage Panel and iGaming Influencers at GR8 Tech Booth
On the Super Stage, GR8 Tech and Ready to Fight held “The Heavyweight Playbook: Building Businesses That Perform When It Matters Most” panel discussion. Oleksandr Usyk opened up about discipline and trust in his team, while Kyrylo Korobka, Executive Director at Ready to Fight, emphasized the importance of data-driven preparation. Yevhen Krazhan, CSO at GR8 Tech, showed how the same principles apply to iGaming, where platforms must perform flawlessly under pressure.
“Whether it’s preparing for a championship fight or building an iGaming platform, excellence comes from systematic discipline, not just talent,” Yevhen Krazhan, CSO at GR8 Tech, said during the discussion.
Following the panel discussion, the punch machine challenge at GR8 Tech’s stand brought together influential industry leaders, creating one of the most talked-about activations of the entire Summit.
GR8 Tech’s CEO Oleksandr Feshchenko claimed the top score and Usyk’s signed gloves. However, given GR8 Tech’s partnership with Ready to Fight, the prize was never meant to stay in-house—instead going to the next highest scorer, Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC Gaming, capturing the core of the Heavyweight Club philosophy: champions create champions.
Usyk’s appearance drew massive attention, driving a fivefold increase in traffic to the GR8 Tech stand—igniting new sales opportunities and sparking a surge of meaningful engagement with prospects and partners.
Platform for Champions: GR8 Tech Named Platform Provider of the Year
GR8 Tech capped off its heavyweight presence at SBC Summit 2025 by being named “Platform Provider of the Year” at the SBC Awards ceremony.
This prestigious recognition confirms what GR8 Tech has built: a true Platform for Champions that provides the unmatched performance, flexibility, and global infrastructure required for operators who refuse to settle for second place. The validation was echoed by exceptional demand and operator interest witnessed throughout the summit, with 200+ meetings demonstrating the industry’s appetite for champion-level solutions.
“The Heavyweight Club is built on performance, not promises. At SBC Summit, we showed that operators with the ambition to lead will find in GR8 Tech a partner that pushes them further, faster, and stronger—and winning Platform Provider of the Year proves it,” Sergey Ghazaryan, CRO at GR8 Tech, summed up.
GR8 Tech. Platform for Champions
GR8 Tech is an award-winning provider, delivering high-performance sportsbook and iGaming solutions that empower operators to lead and win in competitive markets. Key elements of GR8 Tech’s comprehensive portfolio include the Hyper Turnkey solution, ULTIM8 Sportsbook, Infinite Casino Aggregation, and a proprietary affiliate management platform, Aff.Tech.
With a geo-specific approach to solutions, a focus on practical innovations, and an operator-first mindset, GR8 Tech helps its clients achieve measurable results in their target markets quickly and efficiently. Trusted by top operators worldwide, GR8 Tech has over 100 successful cases and earned multiple recognitions, including the title of Platform Provider of the Year by SBC Awards 2025.
The post GR8 Tech Champions Every Round at SBC Summit appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
-
ACMA4 days agoACMA Blocks More Illegal Online Gambling Websites
-
ABSG4 days ago
UK Gambling Commission to close Advisory Board for Safer Gambling
-
ArenaPlus3 days ago
DigiPlus Announces Partnership with PhilFirst
-
Asia3 days ago
Gamban Now Available in Japanese
-
Baltics3 days ago
HIPTHER Baltics 2026: Powering iGaming & Tech Connections Through 3 Premier Events
-
BETBY4 days ago
BETBY CELEBRATES SUCCESS AT SBC SUMMIT LISBON 2025 WITH ESPORTS SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR AWARD
-
Johann Schembri4 days ago
National Lottery of Malta Joins ULIS
-
Latest News4 days ago
FROM PIXELS TO POLICY – THE ULTIMATE SHOWCASE OF EUROPE’S VIDEO GAMES SECTOR
