On April 30, 2026, the SBC Awards Europe ceremony took place at Xara Lodge in Malta — the gaming industry’s premier annual European awards. 36 categories, hundreds of nominees. Here is who won and what it means for the market.
Kaizen Gaming — the undisputed winner of the night
The biggest winner of the evening was Greek company Kaizen Gaming — owner of the Betano brand. Three awards in a single night: Casino Operator of the Year, Sportsbook Operator of the Year, and Operator Innovation in Gaming.
No operator has achieved this result at any recent awards ceremony. Betano is actively expanding across Europe and Latin America, and the win in the “Innovation” category is particularly telling: shortly before the ceremony, Kaizen Gaming announced the acquisition of British company GameplAI — a developer of AI systems for sports trading and player analytics.
Suppliers and Providers
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Casino Supplier of the Year | BGaming |
| Sportsbook Supplier of the Year | Delasport |
| Platform Provider of the Year | EveryMatrix |
| Sports Data Product | Sportradar |
| Industry Innovation of the Year | Fast Track |
BGaming‘s win in the top supplier category confirms the position of a provider that has seriously strengthened its European presence over the past two years. BGaming specialises in slots and crash games, and recognition in the “casino supplier” category signals that the industry rates the quality of their product comprehensively.
Game Awards: Play’n GO and Peter & Sons
- Play’n GO — Game of the Year for Reactoonz 100. The hundredth iteration of the cult franchise proved to be not a token tribute but a fully competitive product.
- Peter & Sons — Game Studio of the Year (small studios) + Best Game Soundtrack. A double win for an indie studio is rare — and a clear signal that in game development, quality beats marketing budgets.
Leaders of the Year
The Leader of the Year award was split between two winners for the first time — Alexander Tomik (CEO, Alea) and Elena Ruseva (CEO, Playtech). Betsson Group received the Employer of the Year award.
What this means for players
SBC Awards are a useful compass for understanding who is actually setting the standards right now. Betano (Kaizen Gaming) is unquestionably Europe’s most recognised operator of 2026. BGaming and Play’n GO are the reference points in slots and content supply. The ceremony took place within SBC Summit Malta 2026 — one of the largest industry conferences, gathering more than 6,000 professionals.
Where to Play
Want to try games from BGaming and Play’n GO? They are available at these casinos from our rating:
- 1Win Casino — review / visit site →
- BC.Game — review / visit site →
- BitStarz — review / visit site →
