Industry Awards
Casino Guru Awards 2025: Winners decided, spotlight turns to the Live Gala in Malta
A Celebration of Fairness, Responsibility, and Innovation in iGaming
The countdown is on for the Casino Guru Awards 2025, where the most impactful and forward-thinking figures in the online gambling space will be honored. After an intensive evaluation period, the panel of expert judges has already cast their votes. The winners are now known—though kept under tight wraps—awaiting their official reveal during the gala evening.
The Gala Ceremony, taking place on June 6, 2025, at the prestigious Hilton Hotel in St. Julian’s, Malta, will bring together key stakeholders from across the industry to celebrate excellence in transparency, fairness, and player protection. This year’s event continues to spotlight initiatives that drive real change, showcasing responsibility and innovation at the heart of iGaming.
In addition to the categories evaluated by the judges, the Players’ Choice and Voice of the People awards have engaged the wider public—highlighting community involvement. Notably, the Voice of the People category attracted over 150,000 public votes, underscoring the growing influence and reach of the Awards.
“It’s truly inspiring to witness such a strong response from the global community. The number of nominations and public votes speaks volumes about how well-known and meaningful these projects have become,” said Daniela Sliva, PR & Creative Projects Director at Casino Guru.
Since the launch of the 2025 edition, the Awards have attracted nearly 600,000 visitors, generated hundreds of nominations, and reflected a growing movement toward greater accountability in the industry.
The shortlist represents a diverse mix of organizations pushing boundaries and raising standards in responsible gambling—including notable names such as EveryMatrix, DraftKings, Pragmatic Play, BGaming, Soft2Bet and more. The evaluation phase involved detailed questionnaires, evaluation calls with shortlisted companies, and a transparent scoring framework. To preserve credibility and impartiality, judges disclosed all potential conflicts of interest before the review process began.
Gala highlights
Hosted by renowned presenter Martin Sepiano, the evening promises an engaging blend of insight and entertainment:
- Panel Discussion with Judges – A rare behind-the-scenes look into the evaluation process and the values driving the Awards.
- Live Performances by Jessica Micallef & Band
- Special Dance Act by The Snake Venom Project Dancers
- Afterparty at Tiffany Lounge with DJ Luke Panza
With anticipation building, the Casino Guru Awards 2025 Gala promises not only to reveal the industry’s top performers, but also to foster meaningful dialogue about the future of fair and responsible gambling. Whether judged by a panel of experts or chosen by the public, each nominee has contributed to shaping a more transparent and ethical iGaming landscape.
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ELA Games’ Managing Director Marharyta Yerina
ELA Games Scoops Up Triple Nominations at the European iGaming Awards 2026
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The studio picks up three major nominations going into 2026
ELA Games is proud to announce that it has received three major nominations at the European iGaming Awards 2026, reflecting the studio’s creative direction, performance-driven development, and leadership in innovation.
The nominations include:
- Most Innovative Slot Game — Joker Winpot
- Slot Game of the Year — Joker Winpot
- Rising Star — Marharyta Yerina, Managing Director of ELA Games
Joker Winpot Shines
Joker Winpot has continued to perform spectacularly, quickly becoming one of the studio’s standout titles. Its strong visual identity, simple-to-understand mechanics, and innovative format with the Winpot feature make it a game that gives players agency with high replayability.
Operators who have connected to the ELA Games catalogue have reported significant increases in key metrics following the adoption of Joker Winpot in their casino lobbies, including a GGR increase of +1128%, Actives: +878%, and Turnover: +1517%. These impressive results have helped the game gain recognition among peers, with it being shortlisted for two major categories at the upcoming European iGaming Awards.
Value in Creativity
ELA Games’ core operational philosophy of blending bold creativity with user- and operator-focused performance has propelled the studio to become a significant newcomer in the industry. Players recognise ELA Games’ signature visually rich art style and actively seek the studio’s games out in casino lobbies, as evidenced by impressive year-on-year growth.
Marharyta Yerina, Managing Director, was also nominated for the “Rising Star” individual award. Her contributions to the iGaming space and leadership in managing ELA Games as one of the fastest-growing studios have garnered her acclaim amongst her peers.
Marharyta commented on the nominations, “Receiving three nominations at an award ceremony reflects every one of our team members’ excellence and commitment to setting new standards in the industry. Joker Winpot continued to exceed our expectations and shows what’s possible when you develop a game with intention, user experiences, and operator performance in mind. I’m also honoured to receive the Rising Star nomination: we will continue delivering content that truly matters for players and partners alike.”
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Danish Gambling Authority
Spillemyndigheden: Large decrease in betting consumption in October
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The Danish Gambling Authority’s statistics for October 2025 show a decrease in the total gambling spend in comparison to the same month last year. However, the betting market was the only market to experience a decrease.
The total gambling spend in October 2025 amounted to DKK 599 million, which corresponds to a decrease of 3.4 per cent compared to October 2024. The statistics show that the decrease for the total gambling market is due to a large fluctuation in the betting market in October 2025 compared to October 2024. The betting market had a decrease of 46.0 per cent. Online casinos experienced the largest increase of 24.4 per cent, while land-based (physical) casinos and gaming machines experienced an increase of 6.0 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively.
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Balkans
Bragg Gaming Wins Online Platform of the Year at BEGE Awards 2025
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Bragg Gaming has won the “Online Platform of the Year” Award at the BEGE Awards 2025.
Bragg’s Player Account Management (PAM) platform for online casino, sports betting and lottery operators is designed to enhance the player journey, with the tools to grow numbers, maximise revenue, boost engagement, all while putting the player first.
What makes the Bragg PAM stand out? Here’s just a few highlights:
• Next-Generation Automation
• Predictive Insights
• Stability
• Fully Personalised Experiences
“We’re grateful to BEGE and the judging panel for recognising our work and celebrating the progress we’re making across the industry. And a huge thank you to our team and partners for helping us deliver a platform that truly understands the player,” the Company said.
The post Bragg Gaming Wins Online Platform of the Year at BEGE Awards 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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