Shortlist Unveiled for the 13th Annual SBC Awards
SBC has officially announced the shortlisted nominees for the 13th edition of the SBC Awards, which is scheduled to take place at Lisbon’s MEO Arena on Thursday, October 1, 2026, bringing down the curtain on SBC Summit 2026. Bringing together 1,200 industry professionals, the ceremony will present 38 awards recognizing outstanding achievements across the global betting and gaming industry, spanning operators, suppliers, payments, compliance, marketing, platforms, and data.
Leading this year’s shortlist in nominations is Kanggiten, securing nine nominations across the evening, followed closely by Betsson Group and Sportradar with seven nominations apiece. Other notable nominees include Kaizen Gaming with six nominations, while BetConstruct AI, Evoplay, GR8 TECH, Playtech, and Soft2Bet have each received five nominations.
Category Breakdown and Industry Leadership
Reflecting on the announcement, Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC, stated:
“Making the SBC Awards shortlist is never easy, but it’s also one of my favourite moments in the entire process. It truly shines a light on the incredible work happening across our industry, whether it’s household names returning to defend their titles or newcomers enjoying a breakthrough year. That mix is what makes the SBC Awards so special. We can’t wait to welcome everyone to the MEO Arena and celebrate these achievements together.”
In the operator categories, Kaizen Gaming will seek a third consecutive Operator of the Year – Large award, facing competition from businesses including Codere Online, LeoVegas Group, and Megapari. Betsson Group returns to defend its Casino Operator of the Year title, while 1xBet and NOVIBET are shortlisted for Marketing Campaign of the Year and Innovation in Casino & Gaming Entertainment, respectively. Separate Employer of the Year awards will be presented to operators and suppliers, with reigning supplier champion SOFTSWISS joined by Alea, BETBY, GR8 TECH, and Playtech, while operator nominees include Allwyn Hellas, Bally’s, and Parimatch. The Leader of the Year award will remain under wraps until it is revealed live during the ceremony.
In payments and compliance, GeoComply attempts to retain its Fraud & Compliance Solution of the Year title, alongside Payment Solution of the Year nominees PayPal, Trustly, Worldpay, and Yaspa, and Payment Innovation of the Year contenders MiFinity, OKTO Payments, Pay4Fun, and Paysecure. Supplier categories span 22 awards covering casino content, sportsbook technology, data, platforms, marketing, and player acquisition. Sportradar returns to defend consecutive wins for Sports Data Product and Land-Based Betting & Gaming Product, while Optimove seeks to retain Marketing & Services Provider of the Year and Acquisition & Retention Partner. Furthermore, GR8 TECH will defend its Platform Provider of the Year title against EveryMatrix, Playtech, Soft2Bet, SOFTSWISS, Sportingtech, and Sportradar, alongside four Rising Star awards recognizing emerging businesses.
Additionally, SBC will host the dedicated Affiliate Leaders Awards at the MEO Arena on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, recognizing companies, campaigns, technologies, and individuals driving progress across affiliate and performance marketing. The complete shortlist is available on the SBC Awards website, and attendees should note that a separate ticket is required.
