2021 WINNERS
| Category | Winner Company | Comments |
| Acquisition and retention partner | Genius Sports | – “I really enjoyed reading the submission. It was well organized and told a great story on how they approached acquisition and retention. It was the first time I saw the incorporation of social media as well. I also liked the emphasis on and off platform and on platform engagement. The company seems to be a favorite of some of the top brands in sports wagering too”- “Going to dominate the space”-“They have built an impressive roster of clients” |
| Affiliate of the year | Catena Media | – “Catena appears to have successfully penetrated some of the most important US markets including Michigan. It has also built relationships with some of the most important online and traditional casino providers- “Sound market growth and they are successfully navigating the fluid US gaming market”- “Good growth story, great presentation, great video, great website” |
| Best new game | Ezugi | – “Of all the poker games, three card seems to be one of the most popular among poker players. The fact that the experience of “live dealer” feels as if you are “in person” coupled with the popularity of the game, makes this submission a winner especially for the consumer who likes to play in person but couldn’t due to the pandemic and other factors. Great product” |
| Best product innovation | Simplebet | – “Unique product taking advantage of sports viewing and double-screen trends. Plenty of future potential”- “The ability to mobilize micro-betting is impressive, and the company has shown real promise as it has entered the DC betting market” |
| Business advisory partner | Partis | – “Partis are clearly going from strength to strength in the growing US market”- “What they have accomplished is very impressive especially on the local access deals” |
| Casino content supplier | Evolution | – “Good presentation. Category killer. Innovative and aggressive… In my view, they have the most exciting offerings with the different live tables, and coverage among operators”- “The gold standard in Live Casino. One of the important content suppliers in the industry”- “Evolution has always been at the forefront of Live Dealer online table games” |
| Casino operator | Rush Street Interactive | – “Good US penetration, good statistical presentation, alive to profitability. Well-developed and thought-out marketing plan”- “RSI put together a very compelling campaign. They addressed every criteria and supported it with a wealth of data… Rush Street has entered new markets aggressively and operate real money online casinos in all four US markets. ..No doubt the first in the industry to break down their rewards program into so many tiers. This company understands that the true revenue potential is in online table game and slot wagering – not sports wagering… Outstanding suite of products. They have a great mix of games, game titles, and ways to access their products and services. RSI has excellent strategies to bring players into the fold and keep them engaged” |
| Cloud and IT services partner ***NEW*** | Continent 8 Technologies | – “Continent 8 continues to be the market leader and is considered the gold standard in hosting and other IT services”- “Very good submission by C8, they are growing in remit and is reflected by their customer feedback”- “Well thought out application. Appreciate the thought leadership and innovation with the Leaders and Legends event. Clearly understand customer needs and scalability” |
| Customer services operator | Rush Street Interactive | – “Rush Street clearly put customers at the core of what they do, very impressed by their entry” – “RSI are a worthy winner meeting all the key criteria with a business focus on customer service” |
| Fantasy & DFS operator ***NEW*** | Monkey Knife Fight | – “Very strong brand presence and good growth across the board”- “MKF are clearly an exciting company and had a stellar 2020, despite the challenges. With Bally now in their corner, I’m sure they will go from strength to strength!” |
| Freeplay gaming supplier | GAN | – “Leading freeplay supplier in the US market, proven across a wide client range”- “Excellent submission by GAN, evidenced by their M&A activity over the last 12 months.”- “Solid, well established operations extending beyond sports based FTP offerings. Impressive stack that is inclusive of compliance. Great growth story” |
| Lottery operator | Michigan Lottery | – “Michigan has hit it out of the park for years accounting for more than half of the lottery sales nationwide. In addition, the focus on social responsibility as it relates to players and its commitment to providing a great product that will engage more customers thereby generating much needed funding for school aid are great attributes”- “Great performance with tough constraints” |
| Lottery supplier | Scientific Games | – “SG has had an excellent year and the foray into lottery supports their expanding portfolio”- “Thought leadership demonstrated. Market share is solid. Complete platform and offering” |
| Marketing campaign | Golden Nugget Online Gaming | – “By far, this was the most detailed and impressive campaign presentation. And I say “wow” to the numbers. Well done”- “Excellent promotion by Golden Nugget. Engagement and Retention statistics are on target and very good submission to boot” – “Pervasive campaign with strong metrics and results. Creative was less compelling than other entrants” |
| Mobile operator | Golden Nugget Online Gaming | – “Golden Nugget addressed every criteria and provided sufficient data to support their contention that they deserve the award. They took the award criteria seriously. Golden Nugget provided impressive data showing their past year’s success. While all operators enjoyed dramatic growth in 2020 due to the pandemic, GNOG provided a robust amount of data and key performance indicators to substantiate their position. Excellent product quality and functionality. GNOG provides a large suite of games and exclusive slots that work on IOS and Android platforms. Sports and casino games work together”- Innovation and differentiation GNOG addressed each criteria and put together a compelling campaign as to why they should be selected mobile operator of the year” |
| Payments provider ***NEW*** | Paysafe | – “This company has scale, a proven track record and loyal customers. Impressive.”-“Excellent performance by the dominant player in this space, evidenced also by their growth this year and the increasing customer endorsements”- “Strong business presence and well thought out application” |
| Safer gambling provider ***NEW*** | GeoComply Solutions | – “They’ve secured some solid partnerships with their tech and are clearly committed to ensuring people gamble responsibly”- “Critical products and at the cutting edge of frictionless exclusions”- “PlayPause protects individuals’ privacy while effectively centralizing data to create an effective tool” |
| Social gaming operator | Rush Street Interactive | – “Great numbers and always known as a solid social gaming operator. Nice presentation”- “Very good submission by Rush Street interactive, evidenced by their statistics”- “Hugely impressive entry from RSI – would make them ‘highly commended’ if possible”- “Great submission. The focus on conversion to brick and mortar and the foundation for real money online gaming is impressive and the results speak for themselves” |
| Sports betting operator | PointsBet | – “Good differential and growth”- “Really strong entry from one of the most impressive operators within the US”- “Very impressive words and deck – definitely one to watch in 2021 and beyond!” |
| Sports betting supplier | Scientific Games | – “Winning FanDuel’s business was a key coup for SG Digital… they seem to be making waves in all the right directions across many platform components.”- “Scientific Games has pivoted their sports betting product to really encompass all of the needs the operator. The open content, open trade and other related components has truly created a customizable product that is also turnkey. For a large company, this is very impressive” |
| Sportsbook platform provider | Scientific Games | – “Strong growth across the board”- “Really strong entry from SG who are clearly still innovating within US and Europe”- “They have invested a huge amount in the new platform and they are now rolling out clients faster than anyone. Huge scale and didn’t go down during superbowl” |
| Standout charitable effort of the year ***New*** | Conscious Gaming | |
| US rising star | theScore Bet | – “Exponential growth with an engaging brand and solid team behind it”- “In addition to having an impressive mobile sportsbook that has leveraged a loyal consumer base, the company has also proven its ability to expand quickly and effectively” |
| Full-service platform provider ***NEW*** | GAN | |
| Operator of the Year | FanDuel | – “Leading operator in the US market”- “Stand out operator winning key markets and growing across the board with commitments both to growth with media, but also to responsible gaming sets the bar” |
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Best New Game – IWG
Safer gambling provider – Entain
Operator of the year – DraftKings