The SBC Awards 2026 shortlist has been officially announced, marking the 13th edition of one of the betting and gaming industry’s most prestigious annual ceremonies.
The event will take place at Lisbon’s MEO Arena on Thursday, 1 October, closing out SBC Summit 2026 in style.
Around 1,200 industry professionals are expected to attend the ceremony, which will distribute 38 awards across a wide range of categories.
Those categories span operators, suppliers, payments, compliance, marketing, platforms and data, reflecting the full breadth of the global betting and gaming sector.
Kanggiten leads all nominees with nine shortlist appearances, making it the most nominated organisation heading into the October ceremony.
Betsson Group and Sportradar follow closely behind, each earning seven nominations across the evening’s various award categories.
Kaizen Gaming secured six nominations, while BetConstruct AI, Evoplay, GR8 TECH, Playtech and Soft2Bet each received five nominations apiece.
SBC CEO and Founder Rasmus Sojmark commented on the shortlist, saying: “Making the SBC Awards shortlist is never easy, but it’s also one of my favourite moments in the entire process.”
Sojmark added: “It truly shines a light on the incredible work happening across our industry, whether it’s household names returning to defend their titles or newcomers enjoying a breakthrough year.”
He concluded: “That mix is what makes the SBC Awards so special. We can’t wait to welcome everyone to the MEO Arena and celebrate these.”
Kaizen Gaming will bid for a third consecutive Operator of the Year – Large title, facing competition from Codere Online, LeoVegas Group and Megapari among others.
Betsson Group returns to defend its Casino Operator of the Year crown, while 1xBet and NOVIBET are once again shortlisted in their respective categories.
GR8 TECH will defend its Platform Provider of the Year title against challengers including EveryMatrix, Playtech, Soft2Bet, SOFTSWISS, Sportingtech and Sportradar.
Separate Employer of the Year awards will be handed out to both operators and suppliers, with SOFTSWISS returning as the reigning supplier champion to defend against Alea, BETBY, GR8 TECH and Playtech.
Operator nominees in the Employer of the Year category include Allwyn Hellas, Bally’s and Parimatch, adding further intrigue to a competitive evening.
In payments and compliance, GeoComply will attempt to retain its Fraud and Compliance Solution of the Year title against a strong field of rivals.
PayPal, Trustly, Worldpay and Yaspa are among the businesses shortlisted for Payment Solution of the Year, while MiFinity, OKTO Payments, Pay4Fun and Paysecure feature in the Payment Innovation category.
The highly anticipated Leader of the Year award will not be revealed in advance, with the winner announced live on the night at the MEO Arena.
The dedicated Affiliate Leaders Awards will also be hosted at the MEO Arena on Wednesday, 30 September, the evening before the main SBC Awards ceremony.
The complete shortlist is available on the SBC Awards website, with separate tickets required for those wishing to attend the Affiliate Leaders Awards ceremony.
