Industry Awards
Casino Guru announces shortlisted companies for the prestigious 2025 Casino Guru Awards

Casino Guru is proud to announce the shortlisted companies for the highly anticipated 2025 Casino Guru Awards. This year’s event, marking the third edition of the awards, will introduce a prestigious live ceremony at the Hilton Hotel in St. Julian’s, Malta, on June 6, 2025. The event will honor the most influential and responsible contributors to the iGaming industry, reinforcing Casino Guru’s commitment to transparency, social responsibility, innovation and fairness.
After receiving a record-breaking number of nominations, the selection process has resulted in a strong and diverse lineup of industry leaders, innovators, and pioneers. With so many high-caliber nominees, the competition is fiercer than ever, making it an extremely challenging decision for the judges. This year, as in previous years, the panel of esteemed judges will conduct 30-60 minute interviews with all shortlisted candidates before casting their anonymous votes, ensuring a fair and in-depth evaluation process.
Regardless of the final outcome, simply reaching the shortlist is a remarkable achievement, and all nominees will be celebrated and recognized for their outstanding contributions to the industry. The awards are not just about selecting winners—they serve as a platform to honor excellence and innovation across iGaming.
Shortlisted candidates for select categories
iGaming Changemaker of the Year
Maris Catania, Safer Gaming Consultant at SG:certified
Vladimir Malakchi, CEO & Managing Director at Xanada Investments
Ebbe Groes, CEO, EveryMatrix
David Natroshvili, CEO & Co-founder, SPRIBE
Anastasios Ioannidis, Head of Affiliates, ARRISE powering Pragmatic Play
Uri Poliavich, Founder & CEO, Soft2Bet
Ihor Zarechnyi, Chief Commercial Officer, Evoplay
The Best Implementation of Responsible Gambling Tools – Developers
ClearStake
Rdentify
Mindway AI
The Best Implementation of Responsible Gambling Tools – Operators
Betinia
OnlyWin Casino
Spinline Casino
DraftKings
L&L Europe LTD
The Most Impactful Social Responsibility Initiative
EveryMatrix
Mindway AI
BGaming
The Most Ethical Approach to Marketing
1win Charity
Winspirit Casino
Zoome Casino
SOFTSWISS
LalaStars
Boomerang Partners
The Fairest Bonus Policy
Immerion
iWild Casino
OnlyWin Casino
Wazbee Casino
Wazamba
Rabona
Winspirit Casino
Hugo Casino
Zoome Casino
Boomerang Partners
The Most Transparent Casino
OnlyWin Casino
Trino Casino
Oshi.io
Wazamba
Gamblezen Casino
Trip2VIP Casino
Hugo Casino
N1 Casino
Slot Hunter
The Fairest General Terms & Conditions
BETANDYOU
bets.io
OnlyWin Casino
Zoome Casino
Trip2VIP
The Most Effective Handling of Complaints
RocketPlay Casino
Mega Casino UK
Richard Casino
Vulkan Vegas
BetBeast
bets.io
RoySpins Casino
Trino Casino
Gamblezen Casino
Zoome Casino
Players’ Choice – Best Game Provider
Pragmatic Play
Habanero
Hacksaw Gaming
Play’n GO
Push Gaming
Nolimit City
NetEnt
BGaming
Evoplay
Betsoft Gaming
TaDa Gaming
Red Tiger Gaming
ELK Studios
Winfinity
Playtech
Yggdrasil Gaming
Popiplay
Relax Gaming
Amusnet (EGT)
Peter & Sons
A grand celebration of iGaming excellence
For the first time in Casino Guru Awards history, the winners will be revealed in an exclusive, invite-only gala on June 6, 2025, at the Hilton Hotel in St. Julian’s, Malta.
Daniela Sliva, PR & Creative Project Director at Casino Guru and the leader of the Casino Guru Awards project, shared her excitement: “The overwhelming number of nominations and the exceptional quality of submissions this year truly highlight the growing commitment to transparency, responsibility, and innovation in iGaming. The strength of our shortlist speaks volumes—it will be incredibly difficult for our judges to select just one winner in each category. With in-depth evaluation calls and anonymous voting, we are ensuring a fair and rigorous selection process. But beyond winning, being shortlisted is an achievement worth celebrating—every nominee has demonstrated excellence, and we look forward to recognizing their contributions at our grand ceremony in Malta.”
With the shortlisting process completed, voting for the Players’ Choice and Voice of the People categories will soon open, giving the public a direct role in selecting the winners. The final winners across all categories will be revealed at the grand ceremony in Malta.
The post Casino Guru announces shortlisted companies for the prestigious 2025 Casino Guru Awards appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Industry Awards
Soft2Bet recognised as Innovator in iGaming Entertainment by SBC Awards 2025

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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.
DATA.BET
DATA.BET Makes a Mark at SBC Summit 2025

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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.”
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Conferences in Europe
GR8 Tech Champions Every Round at SBC Summit

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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.
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