SBC Awards 2026 Shortlist Revealed: Kanggiten Leads with 9 Nominations

The shortlist for the SBC Awards 2026 was published on 24 July 2026, covering 38 award categories to be decided at a ceremony on 1 October 2026 at MEO Arena in Lisbon, Portugal. Kanggiten leads all nominees with nine shortlist entries, followed by Betsson Group and Sportradar on seven nominations each, as the industry's flagship annual awards gathers approximately 1,200 delegates at the close of SBC Summit Lisbon 2026.

• 38 award categories spanning operator, supplier, payment, compliance and individual achievement, according to SBC Events.
• Kanggiten leads all shortlisted companies with nine nominations, the highest tally of any single company.
• The ceremony takes place on Thursday, 1 October 2026 at MEO Arena, Lisbon, with approximately 1,200 industry professionals expected to attend.

Which Company Has the Most SBC Awards 2026 Nominations?

Kanggiten tops the nomination table with nine shortlist entries, the highest of any company across all 38 categories. The result marks the first time Kanggiten has led the overall nomination count at the SBC Awards, reflecting the company's expanded product portfolio and geographic reach over the past two years. Betsson Group and Sportradar each received seven nominations, placing them second equal. Kaizen Gaming collected six, while BetConstruct AI, Evoplay, GR8 TECH, Playtech and Soft2Bet each appear on five separate shortlists. The spread across multiple companies reflects a competitive supplier and operator landscape, with no single entity dominating as heavily as in some previous years.

Who Is Shortlisted for Operator of the Year?

The Operator of the Year (Large) category includes defending champion Kaizen Gaming alongside Codere Online, LeoVegas Group and Megapari. Kaizen Gaming, the Athens-based operator behind Betano, won the title at the previous SBC Awards and returns as the company to beat in 2026. The Casino Operator of the Year category sees Betsson Group is also defending Casino Operator of the Year and appears on seven shortlists overall. Employer of the Year (Operator) nominees include Allwyn Hellas, Bally's and Parimatch, reflecting how talent retention and workplace culture have become competitive differentiators as the industry tightens on responsible gambling obligations.

Which Suppliers Are Shortlisted for Platform Provider of the Year?

The Platform Provider of the Year shortlist is one of the most competitive fields in the 2026 ceremony. GR8 TECH enters as defending champion, shortlisted alongside EveryMatrix, Playtech, Soft2Bet, SOFTSWISS, Sportingtech and Sportradar. Seven nominees makes this category unusually broad, a sign of how platform commoditisation has accelerated while differentiation on personalisation, AI tooling and compliance modules has become the primary battleground. GR8 TECH's World Cup 2026 sportsbook data demonstrated the analytical depth modern platforms now provide to operator trading desks.

Who Is Shortlisted for Employer of the Year (Supplier)?

SOFTSWISS defends the Employer of the Year (Supplier) title in 2026, shortlisted alongside Alea, BETBY, GR8 TECH and Playtech. Employer awards have gained prominence across the industry as operators and suppliers compete for engineering, compliance and product talent in an environment where remote working has globalised the hiring pool. BETBY's H1 2026 results showed GGR growth of 42.7%, making its inclusion here a signal of both commercial momentum and internal investment in culture.

What Does the Payment Category Shortlist Include?

The Payment Solution of the Year shortlist features PayPal, Trustly, Worldpay and Yaspa. PayPal's inclusion reflects continued mainstream payment rail integration within regulated gambling markets across Europe and North America. Yaspa represents the growing traction of open-banking payment solutions in the iGaming sector, where faster settlement and lower interchange costs have made account-to-account payments increasingly attractive to operators managing tight margin structures. Trustly and Worldpay are established names that process significant iGaming transaction volumes globally.

Which Company Is Shortlisted for Fraud and Compliance Solution of the Year?

GeoComply, the geolocation compliance specialist, defends the Fraud and Compliance Solution of the Year award in 2026 and is among the shortlisted nominees. GeoComply's technology underpins licensing-compliance and geofencing programmes for dozens of regulated operators across North America and Europe, and the company expanded its presence in newly launched markets including Alberta's regulated iGaming market, which went live on 13 July 2026 with 50 operators.

What Is the Marketing Campaign of the Year Shortlist?

1xBet is among the nominees for Marketing Campaign of the Year. The Innovation in Casino and Gaming Entertainment category includes NOVIBET as a shortlisted entrant. These categories typically attract the most creative and data-rich entries, with judges assessing campaign reach, player acquisition efficiency and responsible gambling integration alongside brand recall metrics.

Are There Rising Star Awards at the SBC Awards 2026?

The ceremony includes four Rising Star awards covering casino, sports betting, software innovation and one additional sector. These categories are designed to surface emerging talent across the business and are among the most closely watched by human resources teams in the industry. Companies often use a Rising Star win as a recruitment signal, and for individuals the recognition can mark the transition from specialist to industry profile.

When and Where Are the SBC Awards 2026?

The SBC Awards 2026 ceremony takes place on Thursday, 1 October 2026 at MEO Arena in Lisbon, Portugal. The ceremony is the headline closing event of SBC Summit Lisbon 2026, which runs from 29 September to 1 October at Feira Internacional de Lisboa. The Affiliate Leaders Awards are held on the evening of 30 September 2026, also at MEO Arena, making the final two evenings of SBC Summit a consecutive award-night run. Separate tickets are required for each ceremony; table and ticket options are available at sbcevents.com.

"Making the SBC Awards shortlist is never easy, but it truly shines a light on the incredible work happening across our industry." Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC

How Does the 2026 Shortlist Compare with Previous SBC Awards?

The 2026 edition is the 13th SBC Awards, which began as a UK-focused ceremony and has expanded into a global industry benchmark covering European, North American and emerging markets. Kaizen Gaming's presence as a defending large-operator champion reflects the rise of Greek-origin operators in international markets over the past three years. Sportradar's seven nominations across data, integrity and technology categories demonstrate how data providers have become central to almost every operator function, from pricing and live betting to compliance and responsible gambling monitoring. The five-way tie on five nominations each, with BetConstruct AI among those companies, also signals that artificial intelligence product development is now mainstream enough to attract competitive recognition rather than niche interest.

What Is SBC Summit Lisbon 2026?

SBC Summit Lisbon is SBC's global flagship conference, bringing together sports betting and iGaming operators, suppliers, affiliates and regulators for three days of panels, exhibitions and networking. The 2026 edition runs 29 September to 1 October at Feira Internacional de Lisboa and is expected to attract several thousand delegates. Content tracks span sports betting product, casino and slots, regulation and compliance, payments and technology, and affiliate marketing. The SBC Awards ceremony on the final evening serves as the event's headline closing moment and is the most-attended single event of the SBC Summit calendar.

FAQ: SBC Awards 2026

When are the SBC Awards 2026?

The SBC Awards 2026 ceremony takes place on Thursday, 1 October 2026 at MEO Arena in Lisbon, Portugal, as the closing night of SBC Summit Lisbon 2026.

Who leads the SBC Awards 2026 nominations?

Kanggiten leads the SBC Awards 2026 shortlist with nine nominations across 38 categories, ahead of Betsson Group and Sportradar, which each received seven nominations.

How many categories are there in the SBC Awards 2026?

There are 38 award categories in the SBC Awards 2026, covering operator, supplier, payment, fraud and compliance, employer and individual achievement awards.

Who is defending Operator of the Year (Large) at the SBC Awards 2026?

Kaizen Gaming is the defending Operator of the Year (Large), returning to the shortlist for 2026 alongside Codere Online, LeoVegas Group and Megapari.

How can I attend the SBC Awards 2026?

Tickets and tables for the SBC Awards 2026 are available at sbcevents.com/sbc-awards-lisbon. Separate tickets are required from the main SBC Summit Lisbon conference pass.

What is the Affiliate Leaders Awards 2026?

The Affiliate Leaders Awards 2026 takes place on 30 September 2026, the evening before the SBC Awards, also at MEO Arena in Lisbon. It is a separate ceremony focused on affiliate marketing excellence in iGaming.

Updated July 2026.

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