The 13th edition of the awards will celebrate excellence across the global betting and gaming industry during a ceremony bringing together 1,200 professionals in Lisbon.
SBC has officially announced the shortlisted nominees for the 13th edition of the SBC Awards, which will take place on October 1 at Lisbon’s MEO Arena, closing this year’s SBC Summit 2026.
The ceremony will welcome 1,200 industry professionals and present 38 awards recognizing excellence across operators, suppliers, payment providers, compliance, platforms, technology, marketing, and data, reinforcing the SBC Awards as one of the industry’s most prestigious annual recognitions.
Leading this year’s nominations is Kanggiten with nine nominations, followed by Betsson Group and Sportradar, each receiving seven nominations. Kaizen Gaming earned six nominations, while BetConstruct AI, Evoplay, GR8 TECH, Playtech, and Soft2Bet each secured five.
Commenting on the shortlist, SBC Founder and CEO Rasmus Sojmark said:
“Making the SBC Awards shortlist is never easy, but it’s one of my favourite moments of the year. It highlights the outstanding work happening across our industry, bringing together established leaders defending their titles and newcomers enjoying breakthrough years. That’s exactly what makes these awards so special.”
Celebrating the industry’s leading companies
One of the ceremony’s headline categories, Operator of the Year – Large, will see Kaizen Gaming aiming for a third consecutive victory while competing against Codere Online, LeoVegas Group, and Megapari.
Betsson Group returns to defend its Casino Operator of the Year title, while 1xBet and NOVIBET once again feature among the nominees for Marketing Campaign of the Year and Innovation in Casino & Gaming Entertainment, respectively.
This year’s edition will also introduce separate Employer of the Year awards for operators and suppliers, recognizing organizations that excel in workplace culture and employee development.
Innovation and technology take center stage
The supplier categories include 22 awards recognizing achievements across casino content, sportsbook technology, sports data, platforms, marketing, and player acquisition.
Sportradar will aim to retain both its Sports Data Product and Land-Based Betting & Gaming Product awards, while Optimove seeks consecutive victories as Marketing & Services Provider of the Year and Acquisition & Retention Partner.
Meanwhile, GR8 TECH will defend its Platform Provider of the Year title against a strong field including EveryMatrix, Playtech, Soft2Bet, SOFTSWISS, Sportingtech, and Sportradar.
Within the payments and compliance categories, GeoComply will attempt to retain its Fraud & Compliance Solution of the Year award, while PayPal, Trustly, Worldpay, and Yaspa compete for Payment Solution of the Year. MiFinity, OKTO Payments, Pay4Fun, and Paysecure have been shortlisted for Payment Innovation of the Year.
Recognizing excellence across the industry
The ceremony will also spotlight emerging businesses through four Rising Star awards recognizing innovation in casino, sports betting, and software development.
Ahead of the SBC Awards, the Affiliate Leaders Awards will be held on September 30 at the MEO Arena, celebrating the companies, technologies, campaigns, and professionals driving the affiliate and performance marketing industry.
The winners of the SBC Awards 2026 will be announced during the October 1 ceremony, bringing the curtain down on another edition of SBC Summit, one of the world’s leading events for the global betting and gaming industry.
