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Industry Awards

Rickard Vikström Named European CEO of the Year in the Hosting Industry

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Rickard Vikström, CEO and founder of Internet Vikings, a licensed in-state hosting provider for U.S. iGaming and online sports betting, has been named European CEO of the Year in the hosting industry.

The award recognizes Vikström’s work in expanding Internet Vikings’ presence from Europe into the U.S., where the company has become the fastest-growing hosting provider for the iGaming and sports betting industry. Internet Vikings continues to see strong year-on-year growth, becoming the go-to hosting partner for European operators expanding into the U.S. market.

Vikström has led Internet Vikings through several key initiatives, including early market entry in emerging U.S. states, the introduction of flexible hosting models such as Pay-as-You-Go Bursting, and a focus on operational transparency and customer responsiveness. He also helped secure VMware Premier Partner status for the company.

Internally, Vikström is known for his direct and accessible leadership approach, maintaining regular contact with clients and actively participating in customer support improvements.

This award highlights his ability to scale a European company internationally while maintaining close attention to service and technical reliability.

The post Rickard Vikström Named European CEO of the Year in the Hosting Industry appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Industry Awards

Soft2Bet Named Acquisition & Retention Partner and Industry Innovator of the Year by SBC Europe Awards 2025

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Soft2Bet has secured two major wins at the SBC Awards Europe 2025, being recognised by excellence for Acquisition & Retention Partner of the Year and Industry Innovation of the Year. Its flagship brand Betinia also earned a Silver Award in the Casino Operator of the Year category, highlighting a company’s ability to create performing brands in saturated and highly competitive key markets.

The awards recognise the continued success of Soft2Bet’s powerful turnkey solutions and Motivational Engineering Gaming Application (MEGA), which has played a central role in driving player engagement and retention across key markets. During the last 12 months, the impact of Soft2Bet’s cutting-edge gamification solutions for casino and sportsbook has played a major role in enhancing customer experience, loyalty, and engagement, delivering ROI-driven performance that goes beyond retention. MEGA was key in achieving a 128% retention uplift for Campobet in Denmark and 106% for Betinia in Sweden, further proving the solution’s impact.

“SBC Europe Awards recognition is a testament to the vision of our technology and its impact on building strong brands, long-term player relationships, and product excellence that goes beyond retention. MEGA continues to lead the European, Nordic and North America market in creating unique experiences that combine innovation, a strong regulatory framework, high performance results from the start,” stated Oksana Tsyhankova, CMO at Soft2Bet.

Earlier in 2024, Soft2Bet was also recognised at the SBC Awards, winning in Innovation in Mobile and Innovation in Casino Entertainment categories. Soft2Bet now holds 19 licences across 12 jurisdictions and continues to expand both its B2B and B2C footprint in Europe and beyond. With brands like Betinia, CampoBet, Don.ro, Tooniebet, and Quickcasino, the company remains focused on delivering innovative, localised, high-performance iGaming experiences.

The post Soft2Bet Named Acquisition & Retention Partner and Industry Innovator of the Year by SBC Europe Awards 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Industry Awards

SBC Awards Europe: Meet the 2025 Winners

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Betsson, Soft2Bet, and Novibet were among the standout winners at last night’s inaugural SBC Awards Europe ceremony.

The prestigious ceremony took place on the evening of Thursday, 12th June at the Hilton Malta in Saint Julian’s. The evening brought the industry together to recognise the people and companies driving progress and setting new standards in sports betting and gaming across Europe.

The evening was hosted by globally recognised sports broadcaster and football presenter, Alison Bender, who presented 34 distinct awards honouring the industry’s leading operators, affiliates, and suppliers, in front of an audience of 400 industry stakeholders.

Rasmus Sojmark, Founder and CEO of SBC, said: “We launched SBC Summit Malta to better reflect the innovations and achievements shaping Europe’s entire gaming ecosystem. SBC Awards Europe builds on that mission, offering a platform to spotlight the industry’s best across all verticals.

“While casino operators and game studios continue to be recognised for their outstanding achievements, the introduction of new categories—covering key sectors such as sportsbook and payments—has enabled us to honour the full spectrum of talent driving progress across the industry.”

It was a standout night for Novibet, which secured two awards: ‘Operator Innovation in Gaming’ and ‘Sportsbook Operator of the Year’. Meanwhile, Betsson Group was named ‘Casino Operator of the Year’, Betsson Group Affiliates won ‘Best Affiliate Program‘, and 1xBet took home the ‘Marketing Campaign and Sponsorship of the Year’ award.

In the Operator & Supplier categories, Bragg Gaming was recognised for its commitment to safer gambling with the ‘Socially Responsible Initiative of the Year’ award. Additionally, BGaming picked up the ‘Best Exclusive Game Partnership’ award, and Alea took home the prestigious ‘Employer of the Year’ award.

Exceptional leadership across the industry was recognised through the coveted ‘Leader of the Year’ award, which was jointly awarded to Bilyan Balinoff (Co-Founder, Vegas Legends) and Jovana Popovic Canaki (CEO, iGP). The ‘Manager of the Year’ accolade was presented to Pierre Pulis (Head of Marketing, BETBY).

In the supplier categories, Soft2Bet walked away with two awards on the night: ‘Acquisition & Retention Partner‘ and ‘Industry Innovation of the Year’. Games Global was named ‘Casino Supplier of the Year’ while OpenBet secured the title of ‘Sportsbook Supplier of the Year’. 

Other winners in the supplier categories included Oddin.gg, which won the ‘Live Betting Product‘ award; Sportradar, which was awarded ‘Sports Data Product’; and BetConstruct, which was named ‘Platform Provider of the Year’

The evening also featured a number of ‘Rising Star’ categories, highlighting the achievements of emerging European operators and suppliers. In the operator categories, Casumo Services Limited secured the ‘Rising Star in Casino’ award, whilst BETANDYOU was named ‘Rising Star in Sports Betting’.

In the supplier categories, Octoplay was honoured with the ‘Rising Star in Casino’ and BETER won ‘Rising Star in Sports Betting’.

In the affiliate categories, Casino Guru was recognised as ‘Casino Affiliate of the Year’, while Flashscore was awarded ‘Sports Affiliate of the Year’. 

Mindway AI and Payhound were celebrated for innovations in payments and compliance, taking home the ‘Compliance & KYC Partner of the Year’ and ‘Payment Solution of the Year’, respectively.

Continuing its predecessor’s commitment to celebrating advancements in gaming, the night also featured a number of ‘Game Developer’ categories. Relax Gaming was honoured with the ‘Game Aggregator of the Year‘ award, and Evoplay took home the ‘Game Design & Art Direction’ award. Meanwhile, Omnigame was awarded ‘Game Mechanic/Feature of the Year‘, and Mascot Gaming won ‘Game Music / Soundtrack’.

The coveted ‘Game of the Year’ award was claimed by Relax Gaming for their title ‘Ancient Tumble‘, in a category newly opened to public voting for the 2025 edition.

Highlighting the outstanding work of European game studios were the ‘SlotCatalog’ awards. Pragmatic Play won the ‘Game Studio of the Year – Large’, Hacksaw Gaming took home the ‘Game Studio of the Year – Medium’ and Reel Studio was named ‘Game Studio of the Year – Small’. The ‘Rookie of the Year‘ award went to Backseat Gaming.

“I would like to take the chance to thank our platinum headline sponsor, BetConstruct, along with all our premium and supporting sponsors, whose generous support allowed us to celebrate the industry’s accomplishments in a truly meaningful way,” said Sojmark.

The awards ceremony concluded the final night of SBC Summit Malta, which saw 6,000 industry stakeholders convene at the InterContinental Hotel, Malta, from June 10-12.

 

View the full list of winners here. 

The post SBC Awards Europe: Meet the 2025 Winners appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Million Games and Partners Shortlisted for MiGEA 2025 Awards

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Million Games has been shortlisted in the Best Crash Game category at the Malta Gaming Excellence Awards (MiGEA) 2025 for its popular title Chicken X, launched earlier this year. The announcement marks a major milestone for the studio, known for its bold, player-first approach to game development.

Hosted on 19 June at the InterContinental in St. Julian, the MiGEA Awards celebrate the most impactful and original contributions to the gaming industry, spotlighting excellence in game development, technology, and innovation.

Chicken X, developed in-house by Million Games, invites players to guide a fearless chicken across a fast-moving highway in a high-volatility crash format. With its vibrant design, suspenseful pacing and sharp risk-reward balance, the game has quickly become a favourite among crash game enthusiasts.

In addition to its own nomination, Million Games is also celebrating two of its Million Stars partner studios,
both shortlisted in the Best Slot Game category:

Thorfinn’s Journey by Yugo Workshop – a visually rich, Norse-inspired slot featuring dynamic mechanics and narrative-driven gameplay.

Captain’s Curse by Black Cat Games – aa dark maritime adventure where a cursed fisherman transforms into a werewolf under the full moon, with free spins and collect features.

Notably, both studios have been shortlisted for their debut releases developed on the Million Games platform, making the recognition all the more significant.

“We launched the Million Stars programme to help brilliant developers bring bold ideas to life,” said Thomas Nimstad, CEO for Million Games. “Seeing Yugo Workshop and Black Cat Games earn nominations for their very first games is a proud moment for us — and a strong endorsement of the creative talent driving the Million Stars partners.”

Million Games will attend the MiGEA Awards ceremony on 19 June, joining a field of industry leaders and rising stars.

The post Million Games and Partners Shortlisted for MiGEA 2025 Awards appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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