Meet the 2026 SBC Awards Europe Winners

(AsiaGameHub) –   The gala event was held on April 30 at Malta’s Xara Lodge, where renowned sports broadcaster Alison Bender presided over the presentation of 36 awards, celebrating the industry’s top-tier operators, affiliates, and suppliers.

Press release.- The SBC Awards Europe 2026 served as the grand finale for the SBC Summit Malta, with Kaizen Gaming emerging as the night’s top performer by collecting three trophies.

Held on April 30 at Xara Lodge in Malta, the event gathered industry leaders to honor the organizations and individuals who are advancing the sector and establishing new benchmarks for sports betting and gaming throughout Europe.

The evening was anchored by sports broadcasting veteran Alison Bender, who distributed 36 awards to recognize excellence among the industry’s leading operators, affiliates, and suppliers.

Rasmus Sojmark, founder and CEO of SBC, remarked: “The industry continues to elevate its standards every year, and this edition was no exception. The winners represent the teams, individuals, and products that have not only kept pace with industry shifts but have also demonstrated the agility to adapt and push boundaries even further.”

It was a landmark evening for Kaizen Gaming, which secured the Sportsbook Operator of the Year, Casino Operator of the Year, and Operator Innovation in Gaming titles, reflecting its robust growth and operational success.

Within the affiliate sector, Flashscore successfully defended its title as Sports Affiliate of the Year, while Gentoo Media was honored as Casino Affiliate of the Year. Additionally, 1xBet received recognition for its affiliate program, winning the Best Affiliate Programme award.

In the supplier categories, Delasport was named Sportsbook Supplier of the Year, and BGaming took home the Casino Supplier of the Year award. EveryMatrix was distinguished as Platform Provider of the Year, while Sportradar and Fast Track were recognized for Sports Data Product and Industry Innovation of the Year, respectively.

Highlighting leadership and corporate culture, Betsson Group was named Employer of the Year. The Leader of the Year award was shared by Alexandre Tomic (CEO, Alea) and Elena Rousseva (CEO, Playtech), while Yaroslav Soloshenko (Business Development Team Lead, ELA Games) was honored as Manager of the Year.

Excellence in game design remained a focal point of the SBC Awards Europe, with Peter & Sons winning Game Studio of the Year (Small) and Best Game Soundtrack. Pragmatic Play and Hacksaw Gaming were also celebrated in the Game Studio of the Year categories, while Play’n GO claimed Game of the Year for Reactoonz 100. Further honors went to Creedroomz for Game Design & Art Direction and TaDa Gaming for Game Feature/Mechanic of the Year.

Regarding payments and compliance, Yaspa was awarded Payment Solution of the Year, and GBG was named Compliance & KYC Partner of the Year. Gaming1 was also acknowledged for its dedication to safer gambling, receiving the Socially Responsible Initiative of the Year award.

The ceremony also featured several Rising Star categories to highlight emerging industry talent. 18Peaches was named Rising Star in Casino, while Odds88 won Rising Star in Sports Betting among suppliers. In the operator categories, 247Bet (by Casimba Gaming) was recognized in sports betting, and Impressario Casino took home the casino award.

“I would like to extend my gratitude to our headline sponsors, 1xBet and Spribe, and our Official Partner, Gaming Malta, as well as all our supporting sponsors. Their contributions were vital in creating such a memorable celebration of industry achievements,” added Sojmark.

The awards concluded the final day of the SBC Summit Malta, which hosted 6,000 industry professionals at the InterContinental Hotel, Malta, from April 28-30.