SBC Awards Europe Unveils 2026 Shortlist Ahead of Malta Ceremony
MALTA. – SBC has announced the shortlist for the 2026 SBC Awards Europe, with Betsson Group leading the field ahead of the April 30 ceremony at Xara Lodge.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The list sets the early competitive picture for one of the sector’s better-known awards nights and gives operators, suppliers, affiliates, and studios a fresh benchmark going into SBC Summit Malta.
The awards will close the final day of SBC Summit Malta 2026 and are expected to bring together about 400 industry professionals. This year’s edition includes 35 categories spanning operators, affiliates, payments, compliance, suppliers, and game developers, giving the event a broad reach across the European betting and gaming market.
Betsson Group heads the shortlist with seven nominations, while Sportradar follows with six. Across the supplier side, BetConstruct and Sportradar each secured four nominations, with Delasport and Kanggiten next on three, suggesting a strong night could be ahead for sports data, platform, and service providers with expanding European footprints.
SBC founder and chief executive Rasmus Sojmark said the awards are meant to recognize companies showing resilience, creativity, and a willingness to take risks. He added that the event is intended to spotlight the boldest performers in the sector, not simply the largest by revenue or scale.
Returning Winners Face Pressure Across Key Categories
Several past winners are back in contention, which gives this year’s shortlist a clearer competitive edge than a routine nominee roll call. Novibet will try to defend its titles for Operator Innovation in Gaming and Sportsbook Operator of the Year, while 1xBet is back in the mix for Marketing Campaign and Sponsorship of the Year against rivals including GG.BET, Allwyn, and Peter & Sons.
In the affiliate categories, Betsson Group Affiliates will need to fend off Megapari Partners, Parimatch Affiliates, and Vegas Legends in Best Affiliate Program. Flashscore and Casino Guru are also back to defend their Sports Affiliate of the Year and Casino Affiliate of the Year titles, facing pressure from bigger listed and established names such as Catena Media and Better Collective.
The game developer field also looks competitive. Pragmatic Play and Hacksaw Gaming will attempt to retain their large and medium studio titles, while smaller studios, including Gamzix, Octoplay, Penguin King, and Dream Play, are in contention in the small studio category.
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Some of the most closely watched categories may be the ones that reflect where the market says it is heading. Socially Responsible Initiative of the Year includes names such as 8888, EPIC Global Solutions, Play'n GO, and Stars Partners, showing that safer gambling work continues to be used as a point of public differentiation as well as compliance positioning.
Trustly is also among the companies with multiple chances on the night, earning nominations in both Compliance and KYC Partner of the Year and Payment Solution of the Year. That puts added focus on payments and verification, two areas that remain commercially important as European operators juggle conversion, fraud controls, and tighter regulatory demands.
What happens next is straightforward. The winners will be announced on April 30 at Xara Lodge in Malta, at the close of SBC Summit Malta, with the final live-only leadership awards kept back until the ceremony itself.
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