With just one week to go until the Casino Guru Awards 2026, the event will take place on May 25 at Xara Lodge in Malta, ahead of the NEXT Valletta conference.
Since its...
Casino Guru Awards 2026: Winners Revealed
The Casino Guru Awards 2026 concluded this week, bringing together some of the most influential minds and companies in the industry for celebration.
Hosted by Denisa Vydumska, the gala celebrated operators providers, and those individuals that are pushing for a more transparent, innovative, responsible, and player-focused future in iGaming. The evening combined live performances, keynote speeches, world-class entertainment, and emotional award moments, showing how the industry is moving forward and transforming.
Daniela Sliva, PR & Creative Projects Director at Casino Guru and the driving force behind the initiative, shared:
“The Casino Guru Awards are not only about recognizing success. They are about honoring companies and individuals who elevate the industry through fairness, responsibility, innovation, and integrity.”
Held in collaboration with NEXT.io and supported by PayOp, 18Peaches, Bragg Gaming Group, RedCore, and SPRIBE, the ceremony once again made it very clear that Casino Guru is committed to raising industry standards and to recognizing real, meaningful impact.
Casino Guru Awards 2026 winners
iGaming Changemaker of the Year winner: Marina Ostrovtsova, CEO at BGaming
Marina Ostrovtsova received the award for noticing the industry shift toward more casual, and mobile-first gaming early on and successfully turning BGaming into one of the sector’s most innovative and inclusive brands. Her leadershop role has helped reshape how gaming experiences are designed and delivered today.
Rising Star in Responsible Gaming winner: GambleAware Nigeria
GambleAware Nigeria was recognized for its strong grassroots impact in a difficult, under-resourced market. The organization has built Africa’s largest gambling addiction recovery network, supporting over 8,000 people in active recovery and receiving around 300 help calls each week.
Most Impactful Social Responsibility Initiative winner: Flutter UKI
Flutter UKI won the award for launching its Customer Safety Centre of Excellence in 2025. The initiative focuses on embedding safer gambling principles across the organization and promoting sustainable play beyond standard regulatory requirements.
Woman Leader of the Year winner: Valentina Bagniya, CMO at SOFTSWISS
Valentina Bagniya received the award for leading successful marketing campaigns, delivering strong business growth, and actively mentoring across the industry, helping position SOFTSWISS as one of the most recognized global iGaming brands this year.
Young Changemaker Award winner: Irina Veselkova, Head of Marketing at Endorphina
Irina Veselkova was recognized for unifying Endorphina’s global marketing during a key growth phase and delivering strong brand initiatives that continue to position her as one of the industry’s most promising young leaders.
Industry Culture Shaper winner: SOFTSWISS
SOFTSWISS received the award for building one of the strongest and most inclusive workplace cultures in the industry, backed by improvements in employee engagement, participation, and satisfaction throughout 2025.
Fairest Bonus Policy Award winner: iWild Casino
iWild Casino impressed the judges with major improvements to its bonus policy, including clearer terms, automated rule enforcement, and a low number of bonus-related player complaints.
Fairest General Terms & Conditions Award winner: LuckyHills
LuckyHills was recognized for having clear, transparent Terms & Conditions in the industry, as well as integrating responsible gambling tools directly into player accounts to support safer play.
Most Transparent Casino Award winner: Gamblezen Casino
Gamblezen Casino was put under the spotlight for exceptional transparency toward players with detailed overviews of transactions, gameplay, promotions, and responsible gambling tools within player accounts.
Most Effective Handling of Complaints winner: iWild Casino
The award recognized iWild Casino for its efficient handling of player complaints through the Casino Guru Complaint Resolution Center, showing strong communication, fairness, and a proactive approach to dispute resolution.
Players’ Choice Award winner: Pragmatic Play
Once again, Pragmatic Play proved its popularity among players across the globe, with the highest number of public votes. The company is securing the Players’ Choice Award for the fourth consecutive year.
Voice of the People Award winner: iWild Casino
Selected from all shortlisted nominees across the 2026 Awards, iWild Casino came out on top in the public vote, receiving the highest number of votes overall. The result reinforces its position as one of the most trusted and widely supported brands among both players and industry audiences.
The Casino Guru Awards 2026 highlighted more than excellence and commercial success. It also reminded the industry of the importance of responsibility, transparency, player protection, and positive workplace culture in iGaming.
As the evening ended in a standing ovation, a group photo, and fireworks lighting up the night sky, one message stood out: the industry is still evolving, and this year’s Casino Guru Awards winners are playing a big role throughout that change.
Casino Guru was named the runner-up in the 2026 SBC Awards Europe Casino Affiliate of the Year category.The official awards ceremony took place on April 30 at Xara...
