Global Gaming Awards London Shortlist 2020

SHORTLIST A celebration of the leading companies and most dynamic individuals to have made their mark in the global gaming industry in the past year Lead Partner

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COO, EDITOR IN CHIEF Julian Perry EDITOR David Cook David.Cook@gamblinginsider.com SENIOR STAFF WRITER Tim Poole STAFF WRITERS Owain Flanders, Aidan Williams, Iqbal Johal LEAD DESIGNER Laura Fogar DESIGNERS Rebecca Lydamore, Olesya Adamska DESIGN ASSISTANTS Radostina Mihaylova, Louise Clark EVENTS MANAGER Mariya Savova OPERATIONS ASSISTANT Shannon Moran WEBSITE MANAGER Tom Powling COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR Deepak Malkani Deepak.Malkani@gamblingindsider.com Tel: +44 (0)20 7729 6279 EVENTS SALES MANAGER Ryan Horwood Ryan@globalgamingawards.com Tel: +44 (0)20 8638 7610 SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER William Aderele US ACCOUNT DIRECTOR Oz Mustafa US BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Aaron Harvey ACCOUNT MANAGERS Michael Juqula, Clive Waite, Richard Carr, Nitesh Patel CREDIT MANAGER Rachel Voit Gambling Insider magazine ISSN 2043-9466 Produced and published

by Players Publishing Ltd

All material is strictly copyrighted and all rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is forbidden. Every care is taken in compiling the contents of Gambling Insider but we assume no responsibility for the effects arising therefrom.

The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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FROM THE CEO It is with great pleasure we will welcome the industry’s finest once again for the Global Gaming Awards London 2020 at the Hippodrome Casino on Monday 3 February.

This is the third edition of the Awards, which launched following the success of the Global Gaming Awards Las Vegas.

We take great pride in presenting the most prestigious and trusted awards in the gaming industry. Only the industry’s greatest performers will be rewarded for their excellence displayed across the previous 12 months, and I’m certain all 16 categories will be as competitive as ever; I’m sure you will agree when turning over to see our breakdown of nominees and their reasons for being put forward.

The Awards continue to grow each year. This year, the process began with recommendations being made from our largest ever Nominations Panel, and we continue to boast a star-studded Judging Panel with 50 of the biggest names in the industry. The Awards are powered by Gambling Insider.

The presentation ceremony comes at the end of a lengthy process, which began with nominations being made following suggestions from the Nomination Panel and the Gambling Insider editorial team. Companies were also able to self-nominate.

The Shortlist was then finalised and all nominations were sent to the Judging Panel, who cast their first- and second-choice votes in all categories.

The success of the Global Gaming Awards London would not be possible without the help of several parties. I would personally like to thank, in no particular order: BetConstruct, our Lead Partner for the Awards, KPMG Isle of Man, which has once again independently adjudicated the voting process, the Hippodrome Casino, the Nomination Panel, the Judging Panel, all Award sponsors, the Gambling Insider editorial team, and of course, all attendees at this year’s ceremony.

We would love to welcome you to the ceremony and if you are attending, we very much hope you enjoy the show.

An afternoon tea will be followed by the official presentation, which will begin at 3pm. This will also not be the last you hear from the Global Gaming Awards this year, as we will be hosting the Global Gaming Awards Las Vegas 2020 in October.

Gary Roudette CEO, Gambling Insider

LOOKING BACK - 2019

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BETTING SHOP OPERATOR NOMINEES BETFRED

Betfred expanded into the Spanish market last July, while it also grew its marketing footprint by becoming the first title partner of the Women’s Super League in rugby and the official sponsor of Spanish La Liga football club RCD Mallorca. Betfred remains the title sponsor of the World Snooker Championship and donated £25,000 (€29,120) to Jessie May Children’s Hospice at Home.

BOYLESPORTS

SNAITECH

The Italian operator generated 26% year-on-year growth in EBITDA for H1 2019, to €74.7m. Playtech bought a 70.6% stake in Snaitech in June 2018, and this played a significant part in Playtech’s 4% revenue increase for H1, to €436.5m.

STANLEYBET GROUP

BoyleSports recently added to its UK and Ireland betting shop portfolios. The operator acquired Bruce Betting, Ireland’s largest independent betting chain with 18 shops, and purchased 13 stores from Midlands-based Wilf Gilbert in the UK, before buying four more shops from JenningsBet in November.

Stanleybet operates in several European markets, including the UK, Italy, Belgium, Malta, Cyprus and Denmark. It runs more than 2,000 shops and offices, with more than 3,000 employees.

FORTUNA ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

STS

Fortuna is one of the largest operators in Central Europe. Having begun operations in the Czech Republic, it is now also licensed in Slovakia, Poland, Romania and Croatia, overseeing brands including Hattrick Sports and Fortuna Bet.

GGA LONDON LADBROKES

The GVC-owned brand operates more than 1,000 betting shops in Great Britain, and contributed to pro forma UK retail net gaming revenue of £586.8m for its parent company for H1 2019.

Ladbrokes also operates shops in Belgium and the Republic of Ireland.

PADDY POWER

Owned by Flutter Entertainment, Paddy Power helped the group towards 6% retail revenue growth in Ireland for H1 2019 and a 5% year-on-year increase in retail sports revenue, to £113m, for the same period.

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STS is one of the leading betting shop operators in Poland. The company opened its first stationary premium betting shop in 2019 and plans to open a number of shops in the centre of the largest cities in Poland.

TIPICO

The Malta-based company is one of the leaders of the German retail betting market and employs more than 6,000 people across its portfolio of shops. Tipico also operates branches in Austria, Croatia and Gibraltar.

WILLIAM HILL

In a challenging market, William Hill increased its retail sportsbook net revenue by 4% year-on-year for H1 2019, to £205.4m. As of the end of H1, the operator ran 2,306 LBOs.

RETAIL SUPPLIER NOMINEES BETCONSTRUCT

Placing third in this category last year, BetConstruct offers a wide range of retail products within an equally wide range of global markets, working with several high-profile operators. It is renowned for its sports betting products.

BETGAMES

BetGames has grown exponentially in recent years and is leaping ahead of the curve in retail betting. The company’s games are played in more than 40 countries and serve more than 3,000 shops globally.

BETINVEST

With operations spanning four continents (Europe, Asia, Africa and North America), Betinvest offers more than 20 years’ experience and creates retail products that can be customised to meet each target region’s specific needs.

BETRADAR

Last year’s winner, Betradar provides live sports content for betting shops. Betradar’s Live Channel Retail delivers a unique combination of live streams, statistics and odds all on one screen, providing as many markets as possible.

GOLDEN RACE

More than 40,000 shops around the world currently run Golden Race software 24/7, processing over 15 million tickets daily, and the numbers keep growing. In 2019, Golden Race launched its cutting-edge HTML5 retail solution.

INSPIRED GAMING

Live in more than 40,000 retail channels and 35 countries, Inspired offers virtual products which appeal to a wide variety of players. In 2019, it acquired Novomatic UK’s Gaming Technology Group.

INTRALOT

Retail remains the supplier’s dominant channel, offering players a retail experience enhanced with digital-era tools. Intralot provides a variety of retailer terminals, self-service and vending machines, and front- and back-end platforms.

SBTECH

Runner-up in 2019, the last year saw SBTech win several new retail agreements. The supplier now works with the likes of Veikkaus and Svenska Spel, as well as numerous other reputable brands across Europe.

SCIENTIFIC GAMES

During a challenging but successful year for the supplier, Scientific Games delivered on changes to fixed-odds betting terminal stakes in the UK. It also cemented partnerships with Ladbrokes Coral and numerous arcade and bingo venues.

SIS

Supplying data and live streaming to retail operators globally since 1986, SIS offers some of the most engaging greyhound and horseracing betting content available, including bespoke branded channels and data visualisation services.

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ONLINE SPORTS BETTING OPERATOR NOMINEES 888 HOLDINGS

INTERWETTEN

BET365

PARIMATCH

BETFAIR

SKY BETTING & GAMING

BETSSON

SPORTPESA

BWIN

UNIBET

In March, 888 acquired BetBright’s sports betting platform for £15m (€17.48m), in a deal that strengthened the operator’s product and technology capabilities. Itai Pazner, 888 CEO, said this deal marked a milestone for the company, which recorded a 2% year-on-year rise in revenue for H1 2019, to £277.3m.

Last year’s winner further committed to digital progress in the last 12 months. The operator struck a deal with Australian payment company EML Payments to be supplied with reloadable cards, linked to player accounts. It also targeted faster in-play betting by launching a Fast Player Statistics Feed.

After Betfair’s parent company rebranded to Flutter Entertainment, the operator went on to offer its online betting exchange to both of Hong Kong’s horseracing tracks, Happy Valley and Sha Tin Racecourse. Betfair has also secured a partnership with Conmebol football competitions.

Taking the perspective of the customer and identifying key industry trends, Betsson Group formulated a four-pronged strategy for focused improvement and growth: more betting opportunities, a gamified product, resilient technology and a fast and engaging user experience.

After finishing third last year, Bwin will be hoping to finish even higher in 2020. For Q3 2019, parent company GVC Holdings generated online sports betting net gaming revenue growth of 16% year-on-year. Bwin is partnered with Spanish La Liga football club Valencia.

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Sponsored by

After appointing a new CEO in December 2018, 2019 was always going to be a pivotal year for Interwetten. Dominik Beier told Gambling Insider he wants to make his team hungry again by defining new goals. In 2019, the operator was named the official betting partner of football’s Greek Super League.

Parimatch operates across the CIS region and is promoting the value of esports, which makes up 5% of its turnover. The operator revealed its new brand look this year and teamed up with MMA superstar Conor McGregor to launch it.

In its first year of operations since being acquired by The Stars Group, Sky Bet produced revenue of $432m (€388.1m). This result made online sports betting the largest product vertical for Stars Group. In October, Stars Group was acquired by Flutter Entertainment in one of the industry’s biggest ever mergers.

It was a challenging year for the operator after the Kenyan Government imposed a new 20% tax on all betting stakes. Despite this, the company remains confident in maintaining its global sponsorship deals and operations.

Last year was an important one for Unibet, as the operator partnered with Belgian football’s Club Brugge and the NHL’s New Jersey Devils.

Unibet also became the main sponsor of the Swedish HockeyAllsvenskan in July.

ONLINE SPORTS BETTING SUPPLIER NOMINEES

Sponsored by

BETCONSTRUCT

SBTECH

BETGENIUS

SCIENTIFIC GAMES

BETRADAR

SPORTING SOLUTIONS

KAMBI

STATS PERFORM

NEWGIOCO

ULTRAPLAY

BetConstruct’s sportsbook is a fully-managed platform with a comprehensive back-office. The supplier provides for a spectrum of operators, ranging from small two-person operators requiring a 100% managed and hosted solution, to highly-regulated omni-channel operators utilising both its online and retail solutions.

Betgenius’ range of innovative products and services helps its clients drive revenue and boost profits. The supplier provides some of the world’s biggest sportsbooks with a range of live content, including price-management services and live data. Betgenius prides itself on assisting with customisation through its in-house design team.

Betradar now supplies online operators with multiple tools for running a sportsbook, including betting services, gaming solutions, live streaming and a risk management and trading solution. The supplier also announced a new marketing and sponsorship solution to help it identify, target and retain users based on online activity and preferences.

Through its data-led sportsbook core, Kambi can act as an incubator for operator innovation and differentiation. The supplier couples this with its range of empowerment tools, enabling operators to control important customer-facing elements.

Newgioco provides an innovative betting platform for both B2B and B2C operators, which processes a full suite of leisure gaming products, including sports betting and virtual sports. Founded in Rome in 2000, the supplier made its first moves into the US this year with deals in the District of Columbia and Montana.

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SBTech provides its partners with regulation-ready, flexible technology and software. This includes a range of highly-innovative products, such as responsible gaming tools. Last year saw the supplier sign with large lotteries including Veikkaus and Svenska Spel.

Scientific Games’ OpenSports solution provides customers with modular technology that operators can mix and match to fit their needs.

The platform offers proprietary betting engines tested for scale through global sporting events, along with fully-compliant player account and wallet services.

Sporting Solutions is the B2B division of Sporting Group, which has been operating since 1992.

The supplier has a long history of profitability and probity in the UK market. Sporting Solutions combines trading expertise with advanced technology to create turnkey pricing and trading solutions for tier-one operators across the globe.

With nearly 40 years of data collection behind it, Stats Perform provides global sports innovation through AI-driven products and solutions. The supplier covers more than 400,000 matches, with more than 30 million data points collected annually.

UltraPlay has more than nine years’ experience in the online gaming industry, providing its turnkey advanced betting solutions. The supplier has established a reputation for being an innovator, delivering esports betting solutions to millions of players around the globe.

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY PROGRAMME NOMINEES 888 HOLDINGS

The Observer - 888 has developed an internal monitoring tool that can profile customers to raise alerts on potential problematic gambling. From this, 888 can then interact with the customer, limiting bonuses and suspending promotions and accounts while talking to them.

BBIN

The Gaming Beat - BBIN founded The Gaming Beat (TGB) charity for non-profit events and activities in 2018. An example of this is when BBIN ran an online music download event earlier this year, collaborating with DJ Fedde Le Grand to create three original tracks especially for the event.

COLOSSUS BETS

MR GREEN LTD.

Green Gaming Predictive Tool - The tool was last year’s runner up. After being developed by psychologists, it shows players an individual dashboard, with data from a self-assessment test and a predictive engine. This can advise the player on how to lower their risk level.

PADDY POWER

Save Our Shirt - Paddy Power made headlines last summer by deciding to unsponsor the shirts of several British football clubs. The operator’s logo does not appear on the shirts of partners Huddersfield Town, Southend United, Newport County, Macclesfield Town and Motherwell.

PAF

Conscious Colossus - The charitable initiative is designed to target several areas of responsibility and covers causes including the advancement of sport within communities, responsible gambling education and animal welfare. Colossus Bets works with nominated charities Alive and Kicking, the Greyhound Trust and YGam.

Loss Limits - The operator has implemented a maximum annual loss limit for players. This limit was reduced from €30,000 to €25,000 this year. Paf has sacrificed about €2m in annual revenue to run the policy.

DANSKE SPIL

SENET GROUP

Game Scanner - The problem gambling tool spots early signs of addictive behaviour. This results in a tailored interview guide for each at-risk customer.

The tool placed third in the voting last year.

KINDRED GROUP

Player Safety Early Detection System - Last year’s winning programme returns to the nomination list this year. The system scores players to detect early signs of problem gambling, and the operator uses an individualistic approach to promote responsible gambling.

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When the Fun Stops Stop Campaign - The campaign is run by a self-regulatory body of UK operators.

The group has produced a series of adverts advising players to gamble responsibly, and the campaign’s slogan frequently appears in its members’ adverts.

SPORTRADAR

Integrity Program Workshops - The supplier runs workshops targeted at club participants to cultivate awareness about the dangers of match-fixing. The workshops can be provided as single workshops or as part of an integrity tour.

CASINO PRODUCT NOMINEES

BETSOFT GAMING

PRAGMATIC PLAY

BIG TIME GAMING

RED TIGER GAMING

EVERYMATRIX

RTG ASIA

GANAPATI

WORLDMATCH

PLAY’N GO

YGGDRASIL

Gold Canyon - A dynamite new take on traditional 5x3 video slots, Gold Canyon brings together slots players and Western fans, with features such as the Mysterious Drifter adding to a wild experience for users.

Who Wants to be a Millionaire Megaways Launching with LeoVegas, then the Scientific Games and Microgaming networks, the game has now hit the wider market. Big Time Gaming fought off competition from some of the world’s largest studios to win the license to produce the game, administered by Sony.

CasinoEngine - CasinoEngine is a casino integration and productivity platform that helps operators differentiate through increased game options and ease of operation; providing access to 140+ local and global vendors, 8,000+ games and 260+ jackpots.

Manny Pacquiao - Featuring one of the biggest names in boxing, Ganapati’s Manny Pacquiao slot highlights Japan’s long-standing relations with the Philippines. The game’s focus on fighting is representative of the local community’s fight for a brighter future.

Black Mamba - This branded slot offers a cascading grid slot and was the talk of Sigma in November.

Players can combine their love of music with their love of slots, playing in 37 different languages and enjoying a very high volatility.

John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen A player-focused game with original and innovative gameplay, the product has enjoyed the best launch to date for Pragmatic Play, in terms of wagers, number of spins and stickiness rating.

Daily Drop Jackpots Network - Popular with operators, Daily Drop Jackpots are much more attainable for players than progressive jackpots.

Paddy Power made the product the centrepiece of its new marketing campaign featuring football manager José Mourinho.

Football Fortunes - Targeting Asia’s passion for sport, the online slot lets players win up to 100 free games, with prizes also tripled. If an extra mini ball appears on all reels, the player receives a Penalty Kick Bonus.

Golden Flash - Golden Flash is an innovative game which is the perfect synthesis of the dynamics of roulette and slots, offering players a highly-engaging experience without sacrificing usability and the immediacy of the result.

YGS Masters - The Yggdrasil Game Server (YGS) is an invite-only, semi-open platform curating content from leading independent games studios.

The supplier provides access to its collection of in-game promotional tools.

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CASINO NOMINEES

CASINO BARCELONA

Casino Barcelona acts as a fully-rounded point of interest. From seasonal events like New Year’s Eve parties to its Japanese-Peruvian fusion restaurant, Casino Barcelona wants to cater for all types of guests.

CASINO DE MONTE-CARLO

CASINO SOCHI

Casino Sochi, the first all-year venue of its kind at the Gorky Gorod mountains, hosts 569 slot terminals, 70 gaming tables and a separate poker club with 10 Texas hold’em tables. The casino says its main operating principle is to upscale customer service.

GRAND CASINO BRUSSELS

Since 2016, Casino de Monte-Carlo has been re-inventing its gaming experience to enchant all audiences, creating original experiences.

New and occasional players try their luck at the table games under the warm glow of Bohemian crystal chandeliers, while slot machine players hunt down lady luck in the Salle Renaissance or Salle des Amériques.

Grand Casino Brussels is located in a listed city centre building. The venue is the biggest retail casino in Belgium and boasts a market share of 50%. This year, it had success with its roaring 20s’ nights, offering a more rounded entertainment experience.

CASINÒ DI VENEZIA

GRAND CASINO LUZERN

CASINO LE LYON VERT

HIPPODROME CASINO

CASINO PERLA

HOLLAND CASINO

Casino di Venezia is one of the oldest official gambling houses still in operation today.

Founded in 1638, the casino has kept up with modern innovations to ensure customers return to its tables. Today, it has table games, slot machines and an online operation.

Operating as a leisure and entertainment venue since 1882, Casino Le Lyon Vert is located within several hectares of wooded park, offering 314 slot machines, 55 electronic games and 12 table games.

Casino Perla is located in Slovenia and is just shy of a two-hour drive to Venice. The casino has 90 tables with a range of games, including American and French roulette, blackjack and chemin de fer. It also regularly hosts poker tournaments and has 888 slot machines.

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Situated on Lake Lucerne in Switzerland, the casino offers blackjack, poker, mini baccarat/punto banco and slot machines.

The property also holds an entertainment venue – The Casineum – while guests can dine at Restaurant Olivo.

The Hippodrome is one of London’s most iconic casinos, situated in the heart of the city in Leicester Square. The venue offers three floors of gaming and live entertainment performances, including Magic Mike Live.

The operator rolled out its Experience Zone in two new venues in 2019, following success in Utrecht. This works well for both experienced and new players, based on its progress so far.

CASINO SUPPLIER NOMINEES ARISTOCRAT

Holding values rooted in creativity and technology, Aristocrat has earned tremendous respect within the industry in the decades since its formation. Aristocrat is licensed in around 300 gaming jurisdictions and works in more than 90 countries.

CASINO TECHNOLOGY

MERKUR GAMING

JACKPOT

Finishing third in this category in 2019, Merkur Gaming lit up ICE London with its huge stand.

The supplier strives for innovation and presents a multi-faceted gaming portfolio across numerous markets.

NOVOMATIC

Casino Technology celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, with more than 500 titles released to date.

Its slot equipment has also made its mark in the industry, particularly the EZ Modulo machines.

Champion in this category last year, Novomatic continued to provide slots and electronic table games to the industry en masse in 2019. For its last fiscal year, Novomatic’s revenue rose 10% year-on-year to €2.6bn.

E-GAMING SRO

R. FRANCO

A fast-evolving company based in the Czech Republic, E-gaming SRO has thrived since its foundation in 2005. The supplier currently has more than 13,000 VLTs in operation in the Czech Republic and more than 20,000 worldwide.

IGT

Industry stalwarts, IGT’s Q3 report included a 44% year-on-year increase in gaming machine unit shipments. The supplier also navigated heavier taxes in Italy to post strong performance in the market for 2019.

INTERBLOCK GAMING

An electronic table game specialist, the Interblock brand is recognised for its gaming solutions in 212 jurisdictions. Based in Slovenia, the company supplies a variety of fully and semi-automated tables and video solutions.

With more than 200 professionals in its ranks, R. Franco distributes slot machines, casino machines and tombola roulette systems to the likes of the Hippodrome and Aspers Casino. R. Franco currently supplies 25 different casino machines.

SCIENTIFIC GAMES

Last year’s runner-up in this category, Scientific Games continued to deliver games such as Rainbow Riches, James Bond Die Another Day and Monopoly Money Grab in 2019.

ZITRO GAMES

Founded in 2007, video slot supplier Zitro Games has gone from strength to strength, with some of its slots doubling and tripling the house average in some of the world’s most prestigious casinos.

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ONLINE CASINO

NOMINEES

32RED

LEOVEGAS

888CASINO

MR GREEN

COMEON

PLAYOJO

GENTINGBET

SLOTV CASINO

KARAMBA

VIDEOSLOTS

Owned by Kindred Group, 32Red has continued to make a name for itself in football, sponsoring the shirts of four clubs in the English Championship and Rangers in the Scottish Premiership for the 2019/20 season.

For H1 2019, 888’s casino revenue increased 9% year-on-year, to $175.4m (€157.6m). On a constant currency basis, casino revenue growth was 14%.

The operator launched its Orbit casino platform in July, offering user-friendly navigation, feature-rich audio-visuals and a strong portfolio of games.

ComeOn launched its flagship brand in Denmark in November, adding to its existing markets of Sweden, Malta, Poland and Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. The operator plans to launch in India this year.

Parent company Genting signified its intentions to continue growing its online business by agreeing to purchase live casino supplier Authentic Gaming from LeoVegas for €15m; the deal was announced in October. GentingBet’s home page offers a variety of games supplied

by Red Tiger Gaming and Play’n Go.

Founded in 2005 and operational in Great Britain, Karamba offers a range of innovative slots and instant win games.

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Sponsored by

LeoVegas prides itself as “leading the way into the mobile future.” The operator posted successful results for Q3 2019, with revenue increasing 12% year-on-year to €88.2m, and the number of depositing customers going up 5% to 334,042.

Mr Green completed the sale of its business to fellow operator William Hill in February, in a deal worth about $308m (€276.7m). This was attributed as a key factor in William Hill’s 66% increase in online international revenue for H1.

For H1 2019, PlayOJO recorded a 58% year-on-year increase in monthly deposits, an 82% growth in monthly net gaming revenue and a 15% upturn in ARPU. This, coupled with strong conversion and retention rates, led to the business becoming profitable within a year, despite heavy investment in product and marketing in the UK and Sweden.

SlotV Casino operates more than 2,000 games – an impressive number given it only launched in 2017 - and the website is available in 16 separate languages.

Videoslots offers more than 3,000 games from over 100 different suppliers. The operator expanded into Italy in 2019.

ONLINE CASINO SUPPLIER

NOMINEES

Sponsored by

ASIA LIVE TECH

NETENT

BBIN

PLAYSON

EVOLUTION GAMING

PLAYTECH

As the first crypto-currency online gaming software provider in Asia, Asia Live Tech is paving the way in the market by providing cost-effective crypto-currencies, as well as white-label online casino solutions and product integration.

Founded in 1999, BBIN has dedicated itself to the development and innovation of new technologies and systems for almost 20 years. The supplier provides professional platform integration services, while dipping into the world of sport through the sponsorship of teams and competitions.

In 2019, Evolution created a unique new live game show category, which puts entertainment at its core.

This saw significant success in attracting first-time players to live casino. The supplier developed a number of successful games in 2019, including Monopoly Live and Deal or No Deal Live.

JACKPOT

NetEnt prides itself on its passion for digital entertainment and, in September, the supplier strengthened its portfolio of more than 200 games with the acquisition of Red Tiger Gaming. The deal is worth an initial enterprise value of £200m (€233.3m), plus a possible additional £23m in 2022.

Constantly expanding its presence, Playson now operates worldwide, with supply deals in Malta, Italy, Sweden and the UK. The supplier provides engaging maths mechanics, with continuous integration support. Its portfolio now includes more than 60 omni-channel games, as well as promotional tools.

Playtech’s broad casino suite includes its reputable Age of the Gods series of slots, which has become a brand in its own right. The group’s 2018 acquisition of Italian operator Snaitech boosted performance in 2019, with H1 revenue increasing 69% year-on-year, to €736.1m.

GREENTUBE

PRAGMATIC SOLUTIONS

LIGHTNING BOX GAMES

TVBET

Priding itself on the delivery of safe and secure casino entertainment to players around the world, Greentube has a growing portfolio of impressive products and services, including classic slots, video bingo games, video poker games and more. In November, the supplier agreed a global content deal with developer SoftSwiss.

With a list of clients including Unibet, Betsson, Rank Group and PokerStars, Lightning Box has more than 20 years’ experience of maths-focused slot game design. The supplier has had a string of hit games, including Silver Lion, Stellar Jackpots and Respin Rhino.

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Pragmatic Solutions offers a mobile-focused API-based online gaming platform that gives its clients full control over the look and feel of the online product, together with third-party integrations. In 2019, the supplier extended its reach after receiving UK and Swedish certifications for its platform and signing a partnership with Greentube.

TVBet reinvents classic casino games using its dedicated platform, targeting players who favour live streaming options. In 2019, the supplier expanded its live casino offering even further with new games including BackgammonBet. TVBet has already made a big impression in Europe and is looking towards Latin America, Asia and Africa for future growth.

AFFILIATE PROGRAMME

NOMINEES 1XBET

INTERWETTEN

7STARS PARTNERS

KARAMBA

ACTIVEWINS

KINDRED AFFILIATES

BET365 AFFILIATES

LEOVEGAS AFFILIATES

COMEON CONNECT

VBET

Operating since 2007, 1xBet provides an affiliate programme with stability, income growth and easy-to-control advertising. Affiliates can benefit from lifetime commission from each player introduced, personalised support and an extensive database of promotion materials.

7Stars Partners is a rapidly-growing multi-brand programme with a brand portfolio including 13 online casinos. 7Stars Partners prides itself on building firm relationships with partners and providing them with a variety of high-converting brands to promote.

Priding itself on a programme built from the ground up, ActiveWins offers more than a dozen professional account managers, representing clients such as Betfred, Kerching and Betable.

Bet365’s affiliate programme offers a dedicated team to help affiliates maximise earnings across a complete range of products. Whether attracting players to sports, casino, poker, games or bingo, Bet365 promises a return on investment.

With the merger of Cherry Affiliates and Earn Affiliates in 2018, Comeon Connect is now offering more than 13 different brands to its partners. The programme provides affiliates with up to 45% revenue share.

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Interwetten has been in the market since 1990 and its programme offers affiliates the opportunity to profit from its brand, with up to 35% share on the net profit of all its products. The programme will provide dedicated support and detailed real-time statistics.

Karamba Partners’ affiliate programme offers a complete partnership, with a 50% revenue share.

With a strong presence in Denmark, the UK and Sweden, affiliates can benefit from Karamba’s expertise in the gaming industry and fresh, localised marketing material.

Offering access to 11 online gaming and betting brands, Kindred Affiliates is supported by a team of 20 affiliate marketing professionals. The programme is now in its 12th year of operation and is constantly innovating with flexible commission rates.

LeoVegas’ affiliate programme offers the opportunity to benefit from multiple sources of revenue, with the app, desktop and mobile versions of LeoVegas’ products. Affiliates will automatically have 25% revenue share when signing up, increasing depending on performance.

VBet offers affiliates a CPA commission deal with a flat rate on each new player referred and a no negative carry-over policy. The programme provides a number of helpful tools, including assistance with social sharing, banner-building and media.

ONLINE POKER OPERATOR NOMINEES

888POKER

With more than 10 million registered members worldwide, 888Poker is one of the fastest-growing poker rooms, with a new player signing up every 12 seconds. The operator prides itself on its large variety of cash games and tournaments for players of all levels and budgets.

GGPOKER

GGPoker offers its online poker services worldwide, with office locations in several countries, including Dublin, Toronto and Malta.

In 2019, the operator signed poker hall-of-famer Daniel Negreanu as its brand ambassador.

PARTYPOKER

PartyPoker was launched in 2001 and remains among the largest online poker card rooms in the world. Now owned by GVC Holdings, the operator is committed to offering the most elite poker experience. Its website is now available in 14 different languages.

POKERDOM

Pokerdom is the first and largest Russian online poker room. Founded in 2014, it has grown a large Russian player base offering a wide variety of cash games, as well as large, guaranteed prize pools in weekly tournaments.

POKERMATCH

The first poker operator focusing on the Ukrainian market, PokerMatch offers a wide range of poker products. In 2019, the operator expanded its casino offering with content from Connective Games.

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POKERSTARS

Part of The Stars Group, which is soon to be sold to Flutter Entertainment, PokerStars has operated more than 200 billion hands and more than 1.85 billion tournaments since its inception.

The operator’s World Championship of Online Poker series attracts players annually.

SHENPOKER

ShenPoker prides itself on providing reliable poker online with fast withdraw and deposit systems and the newest security systems for safe play. The operator’s Asian player base has been growing rapidly.

SVENSKA SPEL

The Swedish operator’s history dates back to 1897, with the inception of its lottery. Now, Svenska Spel boasts a reputable poker platform with a number of tournaments. In 2019, the operator updated its poker offering so customers can now play directly on the website rather than downloading software.

UNIBET

Unibet utilises more than 20 years of experience by offering a range of options for poker players, including tournaments and the Unibet Open tour.

All of these can be accessed through the operator’s exclusive app. Players can earn loyalty points, which they can redeem for buy-in tournaments.

WINAMAX

Winamax is one of the world’s largest online poker rooms, with more than three million registered real-money players. The operator provides its customers with enticing opportunities, offering more than $10m each month in its multi-table tournaments and $90,000 in cash distributed each month in challenges.

ONLINE BINGO OPERATOR

NOMINEES BUZZ BINGO

MR Q

Buzz Bingo recognises its loyal players with a dedicated team that can offer Diamond Club bonuses and special events.

Membership to the Diamond Club is invite-only, but accounts are monitored to make sure efforts are not missed.

Mr Q offers three different styles of bingo with 11 chat rooms available, to ensure its players do not miss out on the social aspect of the game. This new brand does not demand any wagering requirements from its players.

GALA BINGO

SUN BINGO

JACKPOTJOY

SVENSKA SPEL

KITTY BINGO

TOMBOLA

MARIA CASINO

WINK BINGO

This year, Gala Bingo raised more than £200,000 (€233,400) for its charity partner, 52 Lives. Some of the operator’s new games include The Price is Right, Da Vinci’s Mystery and Wish Upon a Leprechaun.

Last year’s winner, Jackpotjoy was responsible for generating 56% of Gamesys Group’s 2019 Q3 revenue of £92.4m (€107.8m). In September, JPJ Group acquired Gamesys Holdings for £250m, subsequently creating Gamesys Group.

Kitty Bingo encourages new players to sign up by offering a 300% bingo bonus. For every £10 deposited, the operator will give customers £30 free bingo play, as well as 100 complimentary spins, engaging players with its variety of characters.

With a rising Thrill Jackpot and a weekly draw, Maria Casino is eager to provide a well-rounded bingo experience. Every €5 wagered on bingo earns players a ticket in the draw.

Sun Bingo ran its £10 Bingo Bonus this year, giving players a free £10 to use in the Jewels Bingo Room if they have just signed up, or at any of its exclusive tables if they are existing customers.

After finishing third in 2019, Svenska Spel faced unique challenges in the newly-regulated Swedish market, prompting CEO Patrik Hofbauer to urge the industry to collaborate and change the negative attitudes facing gambling.

Tombola exclusively offers games including Cinco, Pulse and Bingo Roulette. The operator is also active across social media, giving players the platform to chat, share stories of big wins and plan future events.

Wink Bingo keeps communication with its players active by posting a regular and informative blog.

This teaches new players and builds a sense of community for existing customers.

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PAYMENT SOLUTION NOMINEES COMMERCEGATE

PAYSAFE GROUP

EASY PAYMENT GATEWAY

PAYU

ECOMMPAY

TRUEVO

FINTEGRATE BY PAYNETEASY

TRUSTLY

PAY360 BY CAPITA

WORLDPAY

CommerceGate provides a real-time tiered pricing module. The supplier assists e-commerce businesses with increasing geographic presence, improving acceptance ratios and automating back-office processes.

Easy Payment Gateway offers more than 240 different online services, including credit card processing (with more than 30 different acquirers worldwide) and alternative solutions such as PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Trustly and many more. The supplier also offers online real-time KYC and fraud prevention services, all under one simple API connection.

ECommPay offers a full-stack technological solution, maintained by a team of more than 250 software developers. The supplier works with merchants who work with social network games, browser games and freemium games.

Fintegrate is a flexible payment strategy that allows merchants to consolidate PSPs into a unified management system. Fintegrate has more than 350 integrations with different payment providers, including international credit cards, local debit cards, APMs, wire transfers (with automatic invoicing) and crypto-currencies.

Pay360 by Capita processes more than £9.6bn (€11.23m) per annum in transactions and manages 248 million transactions worth of card payments.

The supplier aims to prevent bonus abuse by monitoring codes used by players and uncovering hard-to-spot links with email and IP addresses.

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Last year’s winner is back among the nominees again. With more than 20 years of online payment experience and more than 2,600 staff, Paysafe connects the operator and consumer with 200 payment types in more than 40 currencies.

Using in-house technology, the payment service provider spans 18 growth markets across Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. Including gaming operators, PayU works with more than 300,000 merchants worldwide.

Gaming operators who send payouts benefit from Truevo’s OCT solution, which allows businesses to send near-instant payouts to more than one billion eligible Mastercard and Visa cards. In Q4 2019, Truevo announced the launch of its IBAN accounts, which allow businesses to monitor their transactions online and send and receive payments faster than ever before.

Trustly has shaken up the online gaming market with products such as Pay N Play and Trustly Live. Pay N Play allows players to register and play on a site just by making a deposit and without having to fill in a registration form, while Trustly Live gives players the chance to make an online deposit in exchange for chips at a land-based casino.

Last year, the supplier sold its business to FIS for $43bn (€38.71bn); a deal which completed in July. Worldpay has teams dedicated to building gaming solutions that meet the unique needs of operators.

CORPORATE SERVICES PROVIDER NOMINEES BETTINGJOBS

FRESH8 GAMING

The dedicated job site for the gaming industry, BettingJobs combines extensive sector knowledge with innovative search tools. With offices in both the UK and Malta, BettingJobs’ candidate base stretches worldwide.

Working with leading operators, Fresh8 delivers campaigns which aim to increase both customer acquisition and retention. Among its list of clients are Sky Bet, BetVictor, Coral, Sky Sports, Stats Perform and Income Access Group.

BMM TESTLABS

GAMING LABORATORIES INTERNATIONAL

CONTINENT 8 TECHNOLOGIES

GLOBAL BETTING & GAMING CONSULTANTS

Runner-up in 2019, BMM Testlabs offers more than 30 years’ experience helping the industry in several different verticals. The company provides a wide range of services, which include testing, training, certification and quality assurance.

Last year’s winner, Continent 8 has delivered technology and services for 20 years. With data centres and points of presence spanning three continents, Continent 8 supplies secure, reliable networks across Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Finishing third in 2019, GLI has enjoyed a productive and successful 12 months. This included winning a contract to provide Lotto Hamburg with quality assurance, acquiring SeNet and joining the Canadian Gaming Association.

Drawing upon more than 50 years’ experience in gambling, GBGC provides consultancy, data and market reports for the global industry. GBGC covers the whole spectrum of gambling, including sports betting, casino, gaming machines, bingo and lotteries.

DIGITAL FUEL MARKETING

IOVATION

ENTERACTIVE

SMP GROUP

Digital Fuel has seen exponential growth in the UK, US and Australia. In 2019, the agency enhanced its offering with two new services: Digital Fuel Intelligence and Digital Fuel Performance.

Enteractive focuses on reactivation and retention, going against the industry trend of heavily prioritising customer acquisition. Enteractive has already signed partnerships with Tipico, STS, Betsson Group, Kindred Group and more.

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Since 2004, Iovation has specialised in fraud detection and prevention, as well as customer authentication. The organisation has protected more than 45 billion customer transactions to date, preventing an average of 900,000 fraudulent transactions daily.

SMP Group has delivered more than 80 licenses in five jurisdictions and steered over 100 companies through regulatory and financial audits. This year, SMP Group successfully worked with the likes of BetConstruct and Babylon Gaming, also opening a new licensed office in Malta.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE NOMINEES

Sponsored by

VIGEN BADALYAN BetConstruct

JORDAN LEVIN Scientific Games

ULRIK BENGTSSON William Hill

BERNARD MARANTELLI Colossus Bets

DOMINIK BEIER Interwetten

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MARTIN CARLESUND Evolution Gaming RICHARD CARTER SBTech

MIKE CIAVARELLA Newgioco Group GUSTAF HAGMAN LeoVegas

GAVIN HAMILTON Red Tiger Gaming PER HELLBERG Catena Media

THERESE HILLMAN NetEnt

PETER JACKSON Flutter Entertainment CARSTEN KOERL Sportradar

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PONTUS LINDWALL Betsson AB

HARALD NEUMANN Novomatic KRISTIAN NYLÉN Kambi

MARIO OVCHAROV UltraPlay ITAI PAZNER 888 Holdings

SIMON THOMAS Hippodrome Casino

HENRIK TJÄRNSTRÖM Kindred Group MARTIN WACHTER Golden Race MOR WEIZER Playtech

PER WIDERSTRÖM Fortuna Entertainment Group

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