The annual SBC Awards Americas 2026 gala has officially concluded in Florida, honoring the premier operators, software suppliers, affiliates, and executive leaders driving commercial growth across the regulated North and Latin American iGaming frontiers.
The evening was defined by dominant, multi category victories for several of the industry’s largest mainstream gaming brands.
Kaizen Gaming and BetMGM Secure Massive Multi Category Wins
Within the highly competitive operator categories, Kaizen Gaming completed a clean sweep of the primary Latin American divisions, taking home both the Sportsbook Operator of the Year: Latin America and the Casino Operator of the Year: Latin America titles. Meanwhile, North American digital lines saw FanDuel Sportsbook crowned as the Sportsbook Operator of the Year: North America, while Hard Rock International Bet Casino walked away with the Casino Operator of the Year: North America trophy.
Omni channel giant BetMGM enjoyed significant recognition for its workplace culture and player engagement strategies, winning the coveted Employer of the Year award alongside the Marketing & Sponsorship Campaign of the Year title. In the tribal gaming space, Choctaw Casinos & Resorts was named the Tribal Gaming Operator of the Year. For social entertainment models, Rush Street Interactive secured the Social Gaming Operator of the Year award.
The Definitive SBC Awards Americas 2026 Winners List
- Sportsbook Operator of the Year: North America: FanDuel Sportsbook
- Sportsbook Operator of the Year: Latin America: Kaizen Gaming
- Casino Operator of the Year: North America: Hard Rock International Bet Casino
- Casino Operator of the Year: Latin America: Kaizen Gaming
- Tribal Gaming Operator of the Year: Choctaw Casinos & Resorts
- Social Gaming Operator of the Year: Rush Street Interactive
- Sportsbook Supplier of the Year: Altenar
- Casino Supplier of the Year: North America: White Hat Studios
- Casino Supplier of the Year: Latin America: Pragmatic Play
- Platform Provider of the Year: Digitain
- Affiliate of the Year: North America: Betting Hero
- Affiliate of the Year: Latin America: Flashscore
- Game of the Year: Aviator by SPRIBE
- Land Based Betting & Gaming Product: BetConstruct
- Live Betting & Gaming Product: Sportradar
- Sports Data Product: Sportradar
- Payment Solution of the Year: North America: Worldpay
- Payment Solution of the Year: Latin America: Nuvei
- Industry Innovation of the Year: North America: Soft2Bet
- Industry Innovation of the Year: Latin America: InsightPlay.ai
- Acquisition & Retention Partner: Xtremepush
- Marketing & Services Provider of the Year: North America: Optimove
- Marketing & Services Provider of the Year: Latin America: KR3W
- Marketing & Sponsorship Campaign of the Year: BetMGM
- Compliance Solution of the Year: OpenBet
- Rising Star of the Year: ToonieBet
- Rising Star in Sports Betting: OpticOdds
- Rising Star in Casino: Octoplay
- Employer of the Year: BetMGM
- Women’s Empowerment Initiative of the Year: AMIG
- Socially Responsible Initiative of the Year: Betsson Group
- Leader of the Year: North America: Vik Shrestha (Vice President, MGM Resorts International)
- Leader of the Year: Latin America: Leonardo Baptista (Chief Executive Officer, Pay4Fun)
- Tribal Leader of the Year: Heidi Grant (Senior Executive Officer for the Division of Commerce, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma)
Individual Executive Honors Frame Industry Innovation
The payment and compliance categories highlighted the critical technologies stabilizing the modern betting environment. Financial gateway provider Worldpay won the Payment Solution of the Year: North America title, while Nuvei claimed the Payment Solution of the Year: Latin America crown. For backend system scaling, OpenBet was awarded the Compliance Solution of the Year title, while Soft2Bet won the Industry Innovation of the Year: North America award and InsightPlay.ai secured the Latin American innovation trophy.
The ceremony also celebrated the next generation of industry talent, naming ToonieBet the Rising Star of the Year, OpticOdds the Rising Star in Sports Betting, and Octoplay the Rising Star in Casino.
The final phase of the SBC awards focused directly on individual executive honors, celebrating leaders who have built trust with governments and partners across regional markets. Vik Shrestha, Vice President of MGM Resorts International, won the Leader of the Year: North America title, while Leonardo Baptista, Chief Executive Officer of Pay4Fun, was named Leader of the Year: Latin America.
Heidi Grant, Senior Executive Officer for the Division of Commerce of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, was honored as the Tribal Leader of the Year. For localized social responsibility, Betsson Group won the Socially Responsible Initiative of the Year award, while AMIG was presented with the Women’s Empowerment Initiative of the Year trophy.
