SBC Awards 2021 unveils shortlist with major global brands

International operators bet365, Betsson Group, FanDuel, Kaizen Gaming, and LeoVegas are among the major companies to feature prominently on the SBC Awards 2021 shortlists announced.

There are also strong showings from Sportradar, BetConstruct, GoldenRace, OpenBet, Digitain, Playtech, Catena Media, and Gambling.com Group in the supplier and affiliate categories of the prestigious global industry awards.

The eighth edition of the SBC Awards attracted a record number of entries, giving the judges a tough task to finalize the shortlists for 42 of the 43 categories. The shortlist for the Leader of the Year title will be announced separately.

All winners will be announced during a lavish ceremony at Evolution London on December 14, 2021, when guests can look forward to great hospitality, celebrity hosts, and entertainment during what is now established as the betting and gaming industry's big end-of-year party.

Betsson Group leads the way with 11 nominations, including in the marquee Sportsbook of the Year section, where it will be hoping to end the long reign of seven-time champion bet365. FanDuel gives the shortlist a strong US competitor, while Kaizen Gaming, LeoVegas, Coolbet, FavBet, Novibet, Pinnacle, Sportsbet.io, STS, and Vbet are also in the running.

LeoVegas will be hoping for a fourth successive Casino Operator of the Year title, but will again face competition from Betsson, along with 1xBet, Bitcasino, Campeón Gaming, Genesis Global, Hero Gaming, Karamba, King Billy Casino, Mr Green, SKS365, and Videoslots.

Andrew McCarron, Managing Director of SBC, said: "The shortlisting process for the SBC Awards 2021 has been the most difficult yet, thanks to the fantastic innovation, creativity, and leadership that was shown across the industry over the last 12 months. The standard of the entries was uniformly high, so just making the cut for the shortlists is a real mark of excellence. With many global brands facing competition from the rising stars of the industry, it will be fascinating to see who the independent judging panels pick out as the top-performing operators, suppliers, and affiliates of the past 12 months."

Among the suppliers, BetConstruct has amassed ten nominations, while Sportradar and its Betradar division have seven, and OpenBet has six. All three go head-to-head for the Sportsbook Supplier of the Year honor, where they will also face competition from Digitain, Altenar, Betby, BtoBet, Delasport, EveryMatrix, FSB, NSoft, Pronet Gaming, SOFTSWISS, and Sporting Solutions.

Among the gaming supplier categories, the shortlist for the coveted Casino / Slots Developer of the Year reads like a who's who of the industry's top studios. It features EGT Interactive, Endorphina, Evoplay, Greentube, Habanero, Inspired Entertainment, iSoftBet, Kalamba Games, NetEnt, Playtech, Pragmatic Play, Push Gaming, Red Tiger, Relax Gaming, SG Digital, Wazdan, and Yggdrasil.

There is also fierce competition in the three affiliate categories, where Catena Media and Gambling.com Group make the shortlists for both the headline Casino and Sports prizes. BetAffiliation, Bojoko, Checkd Group, Oddspedia, Raketech Group, and Spotlight Sports Group also collect two nominations apiece.

The winners of all 43 categories will be selected by independent judging panels, consisting of industry leaders handpicked for their ability to identify exceptional operator performance and the potentially game-changing innovations among the entries.