

Industry Awards
Rickard Vikström Named European CEO of the Year in the Hosting Industry
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
BETBY CELEBRATES iGB LIVE SUCCESS WITH EGR B2B AWARD

BETBY, a premium provider of innovative sportsbook solutions, has once again demonstrated its growing influence in the global betting industry following a highly successful appearance at iGB Live 2025, one of Europe’s premier iGaming gatherings.
The event, hosted in London, brought together thousands of industry leaders, innovators, and decision-makers from across the globe. BETBY’s team was at the heart of the action, engaging with partners, operators, and stakeholders to share the latest advancements in its AI-driven sportsbook solution, proprietary esports offering, and tailored content capabilities.
Discussions centered around BETBY’s comprehensive sportsbook ecosystem, which provides operators with the tools to deliver localized and engaging betting experiences. From AI Labs, BETBY’s advanced suite of AI tools designed to enhance operational efficiency and real-time personalization, to Betby.Games, its exclusive esports feed delivering 24/7 engagement, BETBY’s portfolio enables sportsbooks to adapt faster to evolving player demands.
Crowning the successful week, BETBY was honored for the second consecutive year with the Innovation in Sports Betting Software award at the prestigious EGR B2B Awards. This achievement reflects the company’s ongoing efforts to push the boundaries of sportsbook technology, delivering flexible, data-driven, and market-responsive solutions for its partners.
“Our participation at iGB Live in London this year was about building meaningful connections, sharing our vision for the future of sports betting, and showing how our solution is helping operators succeed in an increasingly competitive market,” said Leonid Pertsovskiy, BETBY’s Chief Executive Officer. “Winning the EGR B2B Award for Innovation in Sports Betting Software is an incredible honor, but our focus remains on pushing boundaries and delivering real value to our partners every day.”
The EGR recognition adds to a remarkable list of industry awards collected by BETBY in the past three months, further cementing its reputation as a leading force in the betting sector. Earlier this year, at SiGMA Americas, BETBY received the award for Best Esports Product. The company’s success continued at SiGMA Asia, where it was named Best Esports Provider. Meanwhile, the MiGEA Awards turned into a showcase of BETBY’s excellence, with the company taking home Best Sportsbook Provider, Best AI Sportsbook – Innovation of the Year, and Best B2B Marketing Campaign.
To find out more about BETBY, visit: https://betby.com/
The post BETBY CELEBRATES iGB LIVE SUCCESS WITH EGR B2B AWARD appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Industry Awards
Soft2Bet’s brand recognised for “Innovation in Casino” at EGR Marketing & Innovation Awards 2025

Soft2Bet is delighted to announce that its flagship brand, Betinia, has received the “Innovation in Casino” award at the EGR Marketing & Innovation Awards 2025, recognising the brand’s outstanding use of gamification to elevate user engagement within online casino entertainment.
The award highlights how Soft2Bet’s brand Betinia, has successfully integrated its proprietary gamification engine, MEGA (Motivational Engineering Gaming Application), positioning it as a transformative force redefining the casino experience. In saturated and highly competitive markets, Betinia stands out by embedding MEGA as a core strategic framework, enhancing player motivation through personalised experience, progression-based mechanics, and engaging, content-rich interactions.
In 2024, Betinia achieved a high performance results and became the #1 app in local app stores, highlighting the effectiveness of Soft2Bet’s localisation, customization, and retention approaches. Moving beyond conventional bonuses, MEGA creates a player journey focused on achievement, narrative progression, and sustained engagement, leading to a 176% increase in player retention. By introducing virtual stadium-building, and collectable rewards, Betinia transformed gameplay into an engaging and continuously evolving digital adventure.
With more than 75% of users engaging through native apps, Betinia has showcased MEGA’s effectiveness in enhancing mobile retention while maintaining compliance in highly regulated markets, including Sweden and Denmark. The engine’s platform-agnostic architecture has further enabled smooth deployment across multiple jurisdictions, reinforcing Betinia’s reputation as one of the select few brands successfully delivering large-scale gamification in a compliant and sustainable way.
“We know how to create performing brands, and this win acts as a proof of concept for our B2B activities, as the whole industry acknowledges the full spectrum of our innovations in casino. All our brands demonstrate Soft2Bet’s commitment to excellence in customer experience, innovative design, and robust regulatory compliance,” stated Oksana Tsyhankova, Chief Marketing Officer at Soft2Bet.
Soft2Bet and its brands were shortlisted for 12 nominations, with Betinia securing five of these. By transforming traditional approaches to customer experience through the introduction of gamification, localisation, and customisation across all services, Soft2Bet is creating new standards for the industry to follow.
The post Soft2Bet’s brand recognised for “Innovation in Casino” at EGR Marketing & Innovation Awards 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Industry Awards
Kaizen Gaming’s Betano Recognised as Brand of the Year at the EGR Marketing & Innovation Awards 2025

Kaizen Gaming secured a total of three awards, including Innovation in Sports Betting and Best Native App for the second consecutive year.
Kaizen Gaming, one of the world’s biggest GameTech companies and owner of the Betano online sports betting and gaming brand, has been honoured with three awards at the prestigious EGR Marketing and Innovation Awards 2025, held in London on June 19th. Kaizen Gaming was awarded with “Brand of the Year – B2C” for its premium brand, Betano, “Innovation in Sports Betting” and “Best Native App”.
The past year has been especially significant for Betano which unveiled a new brand identity, brought to life globally through sponsorships of major international football tournaments, such as the UEFA EURO 2024™, the CONMEBOL Copa America™️ 2024, the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League, alongside prominent local competitions, like Brasileirão Betano (Campeonato Brasileiro Série A) and Torneo Betano (the Argentine Primera División).
Furthermore, the award victories in the “Innovation in Sports Betting” and “Best Native App” categories highlight Kaizen Gaming’s ongoing commitment to customer-centric innovation, delivering highly engaging gameplay and mobile-first experiences that continue to set new industry standards. Notably, this is the second consecutive year that Kaizen Gaming has been distinguished for developing the “Best Native App”, a testament to the excellence of its in-house technology, product, and innovation teams.
Pablo Puertas, Marketing Director of Kaizen Gaming said: “The past year has been a defining one for Betano. We didn’t just refresh our visual identity; we reinforced Betano as a modern, premium and trusted brand, radiating confidence, playfulness, and artistic flair. Through bold 360° campaigns and landmark sponsorships we connected with millions of people in meaningful, localized ways.
But this is more than branding. It reflects our broader commitment to delivering the best, most innovative, and most responsible gaming experiences possible. Winning ‘Best Native App’ once again, as well as ‘Innovation in Sports Betting’ shows that we are pretty successful at it. We are now at a stage where we can confidently say that Betano is a truly premium global player, able to compete for leadership in any given market. A big thank you to the award organizers, but more importantly to the ‘Kaizeners’, who are the driving force behind our success”.
Building on last year’s momentum, the first half of 2025 has been a remarkable period for Kaizen Gaming and Betano, highlighted by multiple high-profile global sponsorships – including the most recent partnership with FIFA for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ for South America and the long-term principal and front-of-shirt partnership with Club Atlético River Plate.
The EGR Marketing & Innovation Awards reward the most innovative and creative companies in the online gaming industry, celebrating commercial success, game-changing innovation, leading customer service and marketing prowess over the past 12 months. This year’s ceremony took place at The Mermaid, London, on 19th June 2025, and was hosted by Greek comedian George Zach.
The post Kaizen Gaming’s Betano Recognised as Brand of the Year at the EGR Marketing & Innovation Awards 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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