SOFTSWISS receives two honors at Casino Guru Awards 2026

iGaming software provider SOFTSWISS received two awards at the Casino Guru Awards 2026, with the company winning the Industry Culture Shaper category and Chief Marketing Officer Valentina Bagniya being named Woman Leader of the Year.

The awards were presented during a ceremony held on May 25 at The Xara Lodge in Malta.

The Industry Culture Shaper award recognizes organizations that implement initiatives focused on employee development while contributing to workplace practices across the iGaming sector.

According to SOFTSWISS, more than 500 employees gained professional mental health support in 2025. The company also reported that over 800 employees participated in internal and external training programs, while more than 700 enrolled in company-sponsored language courses. Employee referrals represented 31% of new hires during the year.

Among the company's employee-focused initiatives were SOFTSWISS Young Fest and SOFTSWISS Kids Camp.

SOFTSWISS Young Fest, held to commemorate the company's 15th anniversary, brought together more than 2,000 employees and partners from 46 countries for a four-day event in Turkey. The gathering later received five honors at the Eventex Awards 2026, including a gold award in the Corporate Event category.

SOFTSWISS Kids Camp, an 11-day summer program for employees' children, received recognition in the Corporate Event category at the Eventex Awards 2025.

Casino Guru Awards also named Bagniya Woman Leader of the Year, citing her role in the company's marketing strategy and international brand development.

Bagniya joined SOFTSWISS in 2020 and established the company's marketing department, which has since grown to a team of 70 specialists across public relations, events, digital campaigns, employer branding, social media, creative production and analytics.

During her tenure, SOFTSWISS reported holding the highest media share of voice in the iGaming sector for four consecutive years and increasing global brand awareness fivefold.

The company also expanded its international marketing presence through campaigns featuring former Formula One driver and SOFTSWISS Non-Executive Director in Latin America Rubens Barrichello. It also carried out brand activations at ICE Barcelona, SBC Lisbon and SiGMA Central Europe.

"It feels special to receive these awards together because they reflect the same thing – SOFTSWISS people. None of this happens because of one person. It is the result of a team that keeps bringing ideas, energy, creativity, and a lot of care into everything we do,” said Bagniya.

“I am especially happy that Casino Guru recognised the culture behind the business, because building an environment where people want to grow and stay matters to us just as much as business results," Bagniya added.

Outside her responsibilities at SOFTSWISS, Bagniya regularly participates as a speaker and judge at industry events. At the recent Next Valletta Summit in Malta, she opened the Marketing Hub with a keynote presentation focused on building resilient brands in mature markets.

Alongside its workplace and marketing initiatives, SOFTSWISS has continued to introduce new product offerings for the iGaming market. The company was the first in the sector to launch its Prediction Markets Platform, a fixed-odds product that enables event-based wagering on real-world developments across politics, economics and technology.