The 8th annual Global Gaming Awards event, recognising suppliers and operators who have been successful across the EMEA region in the past 12 months, is heading to Barcelona on the 20th January, after a successful seven-year run in London.
The Global Gaming Awards are the most prestigious in the industry as every company and individual are always shortlisted for a reason and the winners are chosen by a stellar panel of senior industry executives, with years of experience and expert market knowledge.
The Executive of the Year category is the only one recognising individuals rather than companies. It is also the only category with more than 10 nominees.
“Congratulations to the remarkable executives who were shortlisted this year. It is a privilege to see the incredible work you do year after year to advance your companies and the push innovation in the gaming industry as a whole,” said Mariya Savova, Event Manager of the Global Gaming Awards.
The winners across all 16 categories will be revealed on the Monday of ICE, 20 January 2025, at an invite-only event at Fira Barcelona Gran Via.
The Executive of the Year category is sponsored by Interblock Gaming, the leading developer and supplier of luxury electronic table gaming products.
The full Shortlist across all 16 categories will be revealed in the coming days. For now, listed in no particular order, this year’s nominees for Executive of the Year are:
Ebbe Groes, CEO & Co-Founder, EveryMatrix: Ebbe Groes has led EveryMatrix to its most successful ever 12 months setting record growth and profitability, making it the fastest growing tech supplier today. He has driven the business to 56% / 57% quarterly profit margins for Q4 2023 and Q1 2024, leaving its competitors behind. Under his leadership the company now has 1,000 employees across 13 offices and in 2024 opened a state-of-the-art environmentally friendly hub for 450+ staff in Bucharest. He also secured three M&A deals and donated €2m+ to support 300+ Ukrainian staff and charities.
Uri Poliavich, Founder & CEO, Soft2Bet: Uri Poliavich is a business leader and philanthropist who has driven Soft2Bet to phenomenal growth in recent years. Under his guidance, Soft2Bet is now one of the top turnkey solutions providers in the iGaming industry. His leadership has been at the core of the company’s innovative spirit since he founded it in 2016. Poliavich continues to be a key contributor to industry innovation and recently launched Soft2Bet Invest in an aim to provide support for entrepreneurs in the gaming industry who are in the early stages of their business development.
Marina Ostrovtsova, CEO, BGaming: Marina Ostrovtsova exemplifies transformative leadership through empowerment, authenticity, and vision. Under her guidance, in the past year BGaming experienced a 95% GGR growth, entered 10 new markets, and expanded its team by 80 employees. She creates a culture of trust and openness, fostering creativity and innovation, which are all crucial for growth in the dynamic iGaming industry.
Walter Bugno, CEO, Games Global: Walter Bugno has been instrumental in Games Global’s rapid growth, leading its expansion into new markets and driving launches of innovative games that resonate globally. His leadership seamlessly blends strategic vision, regulatory expertise, and strong partnerships. With a commitment to responsible gaming and fostering a culture of innovation, Bugno has firmly positioned Games Global as a leader in the iGaming industry.
Carsten Koerl, Founder & CEO, Sportradar: Since founding Sportradar in 2021, Koerl has overseen the company’s transition from a start-up to NASDAQ-listed major player in the world of sports data and technology with simply unmatched product offering. Under his leadership Sportradar continues to go from strength to strength, having recently upped its 2024 financial outlook for the third successive quarter after delivering record Q3 figures.
Gustaf Hagman, Founder & CEO, LeoVegas Group: Gustaf Hagman grew LeoVegas to an international power house, selling the company to MGM Resorts in 2023. In the past couple of years, Hagman guided the Group to expand the offering of its LeoVegas brand across various markets and spearheaded the launch of the BetMGM brand in several highly-competitive European markets (UK, the Netherlands and Sweden). He also oversaw the acquisition of supplier Push Gaming.
Ivan Montik, Founder & CEO, SOFTSWISS: Under Montik’s leadership SOFTSWISS has established itself as one of the industry’s key suppliers. He guided the company to achieve several milestones in 2024, such as acquiring South African wagering provider Turfsport; launching 3 new products in Africa: Lotto Software, Retail Betting Solution, and Horse Racing module; investing in Ously Games, provider of SpinArena.net - the biggest social casino in Europe; launching Sportsbook mobile app in Serbia and Nigeria.
Karolina Pelc, Founder, BeyondPlay: In 2021, Pelc founded a company with a unique vision. She worked tirelessly on building a strong team and developing BeyondPlay’s flagship products - jackpot management system with customisable jackpot campaigns and a multiplayer software allowing users to play the same casino game sessions and pool their stakes. In 2024, she sold her company to Flutter-owned FanDuel, making BeyondPlay a part of FanDuel Casino and Pelc a Vice President at the company.
Jonna Danlund, Head of ESG, Betsson: Danlund is responsible for driving Betsson’s sustainability agenda forward, aligning the company’s initiatives with the UN Global Compact, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Betsson's own sustainability framework. She drives Betsson, and naturally the industry, to a more sustainable future. Thanks to her efforts, Betsson not only meets but exceeds sustainability standards, setting a benchmark within the gaming industry for ESG excellence.
Marija Hammon, Marketing Director, Relax Gaming: Having joined Relax in 2019, Hammon has held several key positions within the company, including Brand and Communications Manager and Product Marketing Manager before taking the helm of Relax’s marketing department. She grew the company’s marketing team and led it to position Relax Gaming as one of the industry’s premier casino suppliers. In the past year, she played a leading role in introducing Relax Gaming’s popular games to a brand-new cohort of US players.
Dan Taylor, CEO, Flutter International: Dan Taylor is responsible for all of Flutter’s international brands. During his tenure, he has reshaped the Flutter International division, taking brands such as PokerStars, Sisal, Betfair, Junglee and Adjarabet to new heights. In 2024, the company streamlined its organisational structure by creating an enlarged International division, tasking Taylor with overseeing Flutter’s efforts in five regions - the UK and Ireland, Asia-Pacific, Southern Europe & Africa, Central and Eastern Europe and Brazil.
Shuk Manoukian, CMO, SoftConstruct: Having joined BetConstruct in 2016 as part of the PR & Media Relations team, today Shuk Manoukian is one of the key figures who drive forward the entire SoftConstruct group. Not only did she help establish BetConstruct as one of the industry’s top iGaming and sports betting suppliers, but she was instrumental in the successful launch of SoftConstruct’s other brands (Pascal Gaming, CreedRoomz, PopOK Gaming) and promoting them to the wider industry around the globe. She has managed to build a strong team who continuously looks for innovative ways to promote the SoftConstruct brands.
Simon Thomas, Executive Chairman, The Hippodrome Casino: Simon Thomas is a key industry figure not just in the UK but in Europe and is actively involved in the European Casino Association. His vision continues to capture the attention of the world. Thanks to everything that The Hippodrome continues to achieve under his leadership, we are now seeing a global interest in British casinos. Under Simon Thomas’ guidance, The Hippodrome has become one of not just Europe’s but the world’s premier entertainment destinations.
Pascal Camia, Chief International Development Officer, Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer: Having joined SBM in 1994, Camia held various management roles throughout his career there, the most notable of which were Head of Gaming between 2015-2021 and COO between 2021-2023. He has been instrumental in establishing SBM’s casinos as some of the world’s most luxurious gaming and hospitality destinations. He was also actively involved in the European Casino Association for several years and served as its VP. In 2023, he was tasked with breathing new life into SBM’s business and expanding it internationally. He was key to the company’s landmark deal with Crystal Cruises which recently saw the launch of the first Casino de Monte-Carlo at sea.
Vladimir Dokov, CEO, EGT: Since EGT’s launch in 2002, Vladimir Dokov has spearheaded the company the entire way. He has continuously evolved the company as the industry went through two decades of rapid transformation - and not only did the company survive, but it flourished under his guidance into one of the world's leading manufacturers and suppliers of gaming equipment. EGT is a Bulgarian company, but Dokov has expanded it to 28 international offices containing more than 3,000 people, servicing more than 65 markets in Europe, Asia, South America and Africa.
Shimon Akad, COO, Playtech: Shimon Akad has been part of Playtech’s leadership for over a decade now. He has overseen an important period in the company’s long history, as Playtech has moved into new competitive markets such as North America. As an experienced COO, Akad understands how to work hand-in-hand with Tier One operators. He was one of the key figures involved in the landmark deal that Playtech signed with MGM Resorts in 2024, which allows players outside of the USA to play games streamed directly from the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
Aregnaz Hakobyan, Group CMO, Digitain: Aregnaz Hakobyan is a marketing and digital media expert with profound experience gained working for major international companies across diverse sectors and industries. Having joined Digitain in 2022 as Head of Marketing, in 2023 she was promoted to Group CMO. She has taken the company’s marketing to new heights, establishing it as one of the most recognisable suppliers in the iGaming industry. She was instrumental in the signing of Luís Figo as Digitain's Brand Ambassador - a partnership which has proven to be extremely successful for the company.
Per Widerström, CEO, Evoke: Evoke might be in a transitional period at the moment, but Per Widerström has been instrumental in steering the company into more successful waters in 2024. He hasn’t been afraid to take swift and decisive action to improve the company, for both long and short term profitability through its rebranding efforts. Under his leadership, revenue is increasing not only in the UK and Ireland, but internationally, and average monthly actives are on the rise, too. Widerström is looking to drive more profitable growth and increase market share across key markets, which is why in October, Evoke also acquired Romanian operator winner.ro.
Stéphane Pallez, Chairwoman & CEO, La Française des Jeux: In early 2024, Stéphane Pallez announced that FDJ would acquire Kindred Group in a deal valued at €2.45bn to create a European gaming champion and become one of the largest gambling operators in the old continent. Year after year, she continues to advance the company’s development, combining growth with digital transformation. Her leadership efforts were recognised again in April 2024 when FDJ’s Board of Directors approved the reappointment of Pallez as Chairwoman and CEO for another four-year term.
Joanne Whittaker, CEO, Betfred: Whittaker has focused on Betfred’s strengths in the past year, including securing partnerships with Boxxer and a complete revamp of the company’s headquarters. New products have been released, leading to positive results for the operator, with turnover increasing by 25.6% YoY, EBITDA rising by 72% and the online gambling division growing by 99.9%. The latter was attributed to the LottoStar acquisition and subsequent development in South Africa, highlighting how Whittaker is keeping an eye on emerging markets and not just ones Betfred is familiar with.
Sarah Robertson, CCO, Kambi: Sarah Robertson has been a key executive at Kambi for a number of years, assisting with the company’s expansion into key regulated markets across the globe. As SVP of Sales she demonstrated strong leadership qualities and an exceptional understanding of the business and the sports betting market in general. She has been instrumental in driving new partner signings including LiveScore Group, Svenska Spel, Bally’s Corporation and many more. As a result of her efforts throughout the years, she was promoted to CCO in October 2024.
Todd Haushalter, Chief Product Officer, Evolution: Haushalter is responsible for all aspects of Evolution's product development and game innovation. He helped establish Evolution as an industry leader. He has been credited with creating the game-show style genre for online casinos and has also been instrumental in keeping that popularity going past the initial novelty stage. Not only does he understand the desires of both players and operators but he also understands how to adjust products for certain markets. Under his leadership, Evolution continues to release hit after hit, the latest one being Lightning Storm - the biggest, most ambitious live game show to date.
Andria Vidler, CEO Allwyn UK: On 1 February 2024, the UK National Lottery was officially handed over to Allwyn as it took over operations. This was no doubt a difficult period for Allwyn, as any major change is, but under Andria Vidler’s leadership, the transition period was smooth and free from any major errors. The company reported increased revenue and profit from operating activities and began the next phase of its retail investment with a new National Lottery permanent point of sale rollout, designed to deliver more modern retail environments and capture the attention of customers.
Marina Ilina, CEO and Founder, PIN-UP Global: Since launching several years ago, PIN-UP Global has evolved in many different ways, particularly during the past 12 months. With the constant changes the industry undergoes, Marina Ilina was able to listen to the data and position the business for growth. This year, under her leadership, the company made moves into the B2B space and will continue to expand on its B2B offering in the coming year. This has been supported by the continued focus on PIN-UP.Investments in 2024 and acquiring additional licences for new jurisdictions.
The Global Gaming Awards are powered by Gambling Insider and Gaming America with KPMG in the Crown Dependencies acting as the official voting adjudicator. BetConstruct is the event’s Lead Partner and category sponsors include Interblock Gaming, SPRIBE, Z-Gaming, GammaStack, Bragg Gaming, EGT, EveryMatrix, 1xBet, Soft2Bet, BGaming, Imagine Live, Galaxsys, SOFTSWISS, Aristrocrat Gaming and GR8 Tech.
After the Global Gaming Awards Europe, Middle East & Africa on 20th January in Barcelona, Gambling Insider will host the Asia-Pacific leg of the Awards in Manila on 3rd June, and the flagship Global Gaming Awards Americas on 6th October.
