November 15 was the date that people in the iGaming industry couldn’t miss. That was the awarding day of the Europe Gaming Awards, which happened at the Hilton Convention Center in Malta.
Apart from the awarding ceremony, it was an excellent time for business owners to build their network, meet people and schedule meetings to discuss future projects. There was also an art auction, all proceeds of which will go to the SiGMA foundation and other charitable projects.
Awards List
There were many awards up for distribution this year. Those who created something that had a positive impact on the gaming industry became the ultimate winners.
Casino Operator of the Year
In Both Europe and the UK, this award is for companies that play a part in the growth of online casinos. It involves online operators like online casino GGBet that try to simulate land-based casino experiences. Swintt sponsored this award. And the winner this year is Videoslots.
Game Provider of the Year
Those that crafted the best games in the world of casino gambling got a nomination for this award. Like the casino operator, they had to bring to the table the latest innovations and best practices that others must emulate. The sponsor for this award was Felix Gaming. Winner: Yggdrasil.
Live Casino Provider of the Year
This award went to the best live casino online provider. Sponsored by Matching Visions, the judges nominated providers that offered the most attractive live casino dealers. Attractiveness was only one criterion, but they also considered other aspects of the casino. Winner: 1XBet.
Online Poker Operator of the Year
Online poker is still prevalent across the world, much more so during the advent of the pandemic. Judges nominated and voted poker operators that offered the best and most unique games. These poker sites do not pit players against robots but rather make players compete against each other. Winner: Kindred (Unibet Poker).
Online Casino Provider of the Year
These providers are not the operators but the ones that provide the games and services. Sponsored by Alea, it aimed to recognize companies that develop backend technologies that make it possible for online casinos to run. Winner: BetConstruct.
Online Sportsbook Provider of the Year
The first one earlier was for land-based sports bookies. This one is for those that operate betting sites online. The award went to the provider that created the most forward stride in the advancement of this industry. Winner: Digitain.
The other awards were distributed between Scientific Games (Sustainable Business), Betsson Group (Safer Gambling Operator of the Year), Kindred Group ( Sports Betting Operator of the Year), SoftSwiss (Best Customer Service Company), etc.
Judges of the Awards
Overall, 17 judges made the selection of the winners. Those judges were not biased, as they belonged to various industries in the gambling world. Some of them were CEOs, and some of them were experts in the gambling industry.
Charity Auction Items
There was an auction during the event. In that auction, people could buy works of art, and the proceeds would go to charity institutions.
The three items auctioned were:
- Heal the World – it is background graffiti art. The artist is Reuven Schockner, and the artwork is about the rise of crypto in the fall of fiat.
- Crypto Over Fiat – a painting by Derek Mason. He has been painting for over eight years, and he is a self-taught artist. His first private exhibition was in 2016, and it was a success.
- 777 Filigree Framed Artwork – an artwork by Kevin Attard. The artist utilizes traditional Maltese methods, along with modern and futuristic designs.
Awarding Ceremony
Anyone working in the gambling industry can nominate somebody or a company to any of the listed categories. The list that we have here is not exhaustive as there were many other categories by which people could receive awards.
The judges decided on the five best nominations and resulted in a shortlist. The shortlist was the basis of the final contenders. The winner came from the decision of the judges and the public. The method used was voting. The judges’ vote comprised 70% of the score, and the public’s vote comprised 30% of the final scores.