SBC has unveiled the shortlist for the 13th SBC Awards, with Kanggiten leading the field on nine nominations ahead of the industry celebration at Lisbon’s MEO Arena on 1 October.
The ceremony, held during SBC Summit 2026, will honour outstanding achievements across 38 categories spanning operators, suppliers, payments, compliance, marketing and technology.
Kanggiten leads this year’s shortlist with nine nominations, followed by Betsson Group and Sportradar with seven nominations each. Kaizen Gaming secured six nominations, while BetConstruct AI, Evoplay, GR8_TECH, Playtech and Soft2Bet each received five.
Commenting on the shortlist, SBC CEO and Founder Rasmus Sojmark highlighted the significance of the nominations: “Being shortlisted for the SBC Awards reflects the high standards and innovation that define our industry. Each year, the shortlist showcases both established leaders and emerging players making a real impact, which is what makes the awards so compelling.”
In the operator categories, Kaizen Gaming will aim to secure a third consecutive win in the Operator of the Year – Large category, competing against Codere Online, LeoVegas Group and Megapari. Betsson Group returns to defend its Casino Operator of the Year title, while 1xBet and NOVIBET once again feature among the nominees for Marketing Campaign of the Year and Innovation in Casino & Gaming Entertainment.
This year introduces separate Employer of the Year awards for operators and suppliers. On the supplier side, reigning champion SOFTSWISS is shortlisted alongside Alea, BETBY, GR8 TECH and Playtech. Operator nominees include Allwyn Hellas, Bally’s and Parimatch.
The Leader of the Year award will once again be kept confidential until the ceremony, with the winner announced live on the night.
Within the payments and compliance categories, GeoComply will look to retain its Fraud & Compliance Solution of the Year title. The Payment Solution of the Year shortlist includes PayPal, Trustly, Worldpay and Yaspa, while MiFinity, OKTO Payments, Pay4Fun and Paysecure are recognised in the Payment Innovation of the Year category.
Supplier categories account for 22 awards, covering areas such as casino content, sportsbook technology, data services, platforms and player acquisition. Sportradar will aim to defend its titles in Sports Data Product and Land-Based Betting & Gaming Product, while Optimove is once again shortlisted in both Marketing & Services Provider of the Year and Acquisition & Retention Partner.
GR8_TECH will also look to retain its Platform Provider of the Year title, facing competition from EveryMatrix, Playtech, Soft2Bet, SOFTSWISS, Sportingtech and Sportradar.
The ceremony will continue to spotlight emerging talent through four Rising Star awards across casino, sports betting and software innovation segments.
In addition, SBC will host the Affiliate Leaders Awards on Wednesday, 30 September at the MEO Arena, recognising excellence in affiliate and performance marketing across companies, campaigns and individuals.
The full shortlist is available on the SBC Awards website, with separate tickets required to attend the ceremony.
