The nomination phase for the SiGMA Europe Awards 2026 has now closed, completing an important step in the awards cycle of the year. Now that submissions are complete, the industry is focused on a shortlist selected from this year’s nominees, showcasing the best operators, suppliers, platforms, and service providers in the global gaming system.
Maturity for this year has been evident in several ways, including high levels of innovation across all sectors of the industry, especially in sports betting and casino technology, as well as strong representation in affiliate systems, payment infrastructure, and the development of innovative content. The number and quality of submissions illustrate an industry that is defined by superior performance, economies of scale, and ongoing investments in both User Experience (UX) and Operational Efficiency (OE).
Nominations officially closed
The end of nominations marks the shift from a broad base of industry participation to a select group of award recipients. We have reviewed all nominations for each award category to ensure a fair distribution of nominees who meet the desired levels of innovation, growth, and measurable outcomes across the global iGaming value chain.
The Malta Awards set an ongoing standard of excellence in the industry, offering a forum for recognising organisations that lead the way in product development, market entry and strategic implementation.
Industry excellence in business growth
This category highlights organisations demonstrating exceptional commercial momentum and strategic scaling capability. The shortlisted contenders include:
Altenar, Digitain, GR8 Tech, Delasport, Pragmatic Solutions
Esports supplier of the year
Competitive integrity, data precision and live engagement define this category. Shortlisted nominees include:
BETBY, PandaScore, Beter, Ultraplay, Abios by Kambi, and DATA.BET
Best multi-market sportsbook operator
Global reach and localisation strategies remain central to sportsbook success. Nominees include:
Bet365, Kaizen Gaming, Super Group, Betsson Group, Evoke, 1xBet
Creative excellence
This category recognises standout product design, entertainment value and content innovation:
Pragmatic Play, Cozmo Play, Evolution, SOFTSWISS, Alea, Kiron Interactive, Avion by Lambda Gaming
Best workplace
People-first strategies and organisational culture take centre stage here:
Arrise, Altenar, Enteractive, SOFTSWISS, RevPanda Group, Digitain, BETBY
Sportsbook and casino categories
The sportsbook and casino verticals remain among the most competitive, reflecting innovation in player engagement and retention strategies.
The best sports betting operator nominees include Meridianbet, Izibet, Betsson, 22bet, Betwinner, and 1xBet.
The best sportsbook platforms include FIRST, BetConstruct, Altenar, Delasport, BetStarters, and BETBY.
Casino operators in contention are N1 Casino, Weezybet, WinWinBet, Betclic and Casumo.
Casino platforms feature BETCORE, Vegangster, Broadway Platform, White Hat Gaming, iGP, NuxGame, CasinoEngine by EveryMatrix and Omnigame.
Gaming content and live experiences
Slot innovation and live casino development remain critical drivers of engagement.
Best slot game portfolio includes Pragmatic Play, Evolution RNG, TaDa Gaming, Amusnet, Endorphina, Play’n GO, PopOK Gaming and Bragg Gaming Group.
The best live casino provider features Pragmatic Play, Evolution, Imagine Live, CreedRoomz, El Casino, and Winfinity.
Best slot game nominees include standout titles such as Panda Ventura by EGT Digital, Mighty Wild Gorilla by Wazdan, Sweet Rush Bonanza by Pragmatic Play, Duck Hunters Happy Hour by NoLimit City via Evolution, Fortune Gems 500 by TaDa Gaming and Crystal Ball Flaming Link by Gamomat.
Payments, CRM and corporate services
Operational efficiency and infrastructure resilience continue to define competitive advantage.
Best payment solution nominees include Finductive, Betatransfer, VallettaPay, MiFinity, Paymix, Andaria, Narvi and APCOPAY.
The best CRM solution features FastTrack, Optimove, Xtremepush, and Customer.io.
The best corporate services include Lenkep, CSB Group, BDO, Kyte Global and Workanova.
Affiliate and aggregation ecosystem
The affiliate sector remains a key growth engine for global acquisition strategies.
The best affiliate network includes Makeberry Affiliates, Fomento, Nordic Partners, AlfaLeads, NightRush and Raketech.
The best aggregator features BlueOcean Gaming, Notix Games, Alea, SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator, Broadhub, GR8 Tech, Hub88, and SoftGamings.
Best affiliate software includes ReferOn, MyAffiliates, Affilka by SOFTSWISS, Aff. Tech by GR8 Tech, Affise, Cellxpert and PartnerMatrix.
Best affiliate program nominees include Joinaff, Mate Affiliates, 1xaffiliates, Playfina Partners, The Wolf Partners, WINWIN Partners and Parimatch Affiliates.
Innovation in marketing and retention
Marketing creativity and player lifecycle optimisation continue to shape competitive positioning.
Best marketing campaign includes Bet it Drives by GR8 Tech, Partnerships With Global Sports Giants by SPRIBE, Big Deal Show by Big Betty Partners, RocketWisdom The Book by RocketPlay Casino, The Passion Makes the Difference by Betsson Group, TMA traffic for iGaming products by Propeller Ads and Tracking the Truth by MyAffiliates.
Best player retention strategy nominees include VideoSlots, HighBet, Novibet, CoolBet, BetHard and UniBet.
Emerging categories
Best crypto payment providers include 0xProcessing, InstaXChange, Coin Gateway, Payhound, Paybis, and Heropayments.
Best new game release features Jelly Express by Pragmatic Play, Red Baron Live by Evolution, Chicken Pilot by Spribe, King and Flame by ELA Games, Circle of Sylvan by Fantasma Games via EveryMatrix and Locomotoro by Kendoo.
Best game design highlights include entries from Wazdan, BGaming, EGT Digital, Mancala Gaming, NoLimit City via Evolution, Booming Games, Trifecta, Netgame and Altente.
Best streamer category includes Classybeef, GamDucks, Hyus, eJanemo and Henny.
Industry momentum builds
Now that the deadline for submitting an entry to the nomination phase of the SiGMA Europe awards in Malta has passed, it is time to move forward with final judging and prepare for our gala night. The nominees are from multiple jurisdictions and show that the industry is continuing to advance its competitive edge through technological innovation, strategic alliances, and increasingly sophisticated ways to engage users.
As excitement builds, these awards will remain a critical point of reference for the industry globally for performance recognition in the iGaming market.
See you on the 27th of May 2026 at Casino Maltese, Valletta!
For more information, visit the SiGMA Website.
