Following months of anticipation, ICE Barcelona 2026 was underway and, with it, came a distinct feeling that a new cycle was beginning. Just over two weeks into 2026, the great and the good of our industry were celebrating the gambling New Year. But as Day One of ICE drew to its conclusion, it was time, once again, to recognise excellence from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Over the past 12 months, what decisive feats of innovation and leadership had really set the tone? The Global Gaming Awards EMEA 2026 Ceremony is where the very best and brightest that gambling has to offer are recognised as such, and where just to be nominated is an accolade out of the top drawer. 

The scale of ICE is hard to wrap your head around in just three days and yet, upstairs at the Market Restaurant, right in the heart of the Fira Gran Via, many of the biggest execs in the business are suddenly corralled. And instead of being spread across the metropolis-like conference halls, here they are, all together, sharing a joke and catching up over a glass of wine. It’s an extraordinary concentration of talent, but the tone of the evening is markedly warm and relaxed, coloured by the musical contributions of a jazz duo. As the esteemed attendees revived themselves from an intense day of networking and business, the hubbub became louder and busier – eventually the last notes of the saxophone died away and the guitar was put aside because the moment of truth had arrived. 

“These are the most prestigious awards in gaming, the ones where the winners are chosen by the leaders of our industry.” The words of Mariya Savova, Host and Event Manager of the Global Gaming Awards. As she welcomes the guests to their seats, she touches on some of the big stories of progress from the past year. Later on, prizes will be awarded across a wide range of sectors. Within iGaming, Savova notes the strides made in product personalisation, live casino and omnichannel engagement. On the land-based side, major refurbishments and reinvestments have invigorated the sector, while services and responsible gaming developments are set to be celebrated as well. Savova adds: “AI-driven security, payments and responsible technology have all moved firmly to the centre of operational strategy.”  

Returning for another round of the Global Gaming Awards was Rick Arpin, who joined Savova on stage, representing global accounting firm KPMG. His presence was the perfect opportunity to remind nominees of the sanctity of the adjudication process, which has been independently overseen by KPMG since the first edition of the event back in 2014.  

While the 50-strong judging panel is made up of gaming executives from across EMEA, KPMG’s involvement as an independent adjudicator is a crucial step in establishing  the trust that makes these the most coveted awards in the industry. 

It helps explain the hush that descended as Arpin wrapped up his address and the first glass trophy made its way onto the stage. Before the announcement of Sports Betting Operator of the year, Savova reminded the congregation that: “Making it onto the Global Gaming Awards Shortlist is a significant achievement in itself. The competition is very strong, and every company and individual shortlisted should be extremely proud for all that they’ve accomplished over the past year.” 

Onto the results themselves and the slick ceremony flew by once it got into gear. It was a good night indeed for bet365, which claimed that first trophy of the night and then returned to the stage with bet365 Partners later on for the Affiliate Programme of the Year Award. 

The brand wasn’t the only double winner either, Pragmatic Play claimed the Online Casino Supplier of the Year Award and Online Slot of the Year directly afterwards – a good job someone was on hand to subtly ensure Irina Cornides wasn’t whisked straight off to her winner’s interview after collecting the first trophy. 

Jesper Svensson was a busy man on the night as well, with the Betsson Group CEO first making his way up to the stage to receive the award for Social Responsibility on behalf of his company. Arpin first noted that this was his favourite category, saying: “Without all the work that everyone has done to promote social responsibility, we don’t have a sustainable industry.” Soon after, he amended this statement slightly to say that perhaps Executive of the Year was his number one. The list of nominees was stacked with talent and Arpin thanked them all for the work they’ve done advancing the industry, before inviting Svensson back for his second triumph of the night. 

Innovation is as integral to the success of the gambling industry as excellence and, as you might expect, there were a couple of new awards handed out this year. For instance, Yevgen Krazhan of GR8 Tech presented Crash Game of the Year. Spribe’s phenomenal success is still ascending, just like that little red plane, and it was no huge shock that it took home the crown on this occasion. And as Savova pointed out at the top, not all innovation is technological; there has been rejuvenation and creative ambition in the land-based sector as well. Two years on from the last time the Global Gaming Awards EMEA was held at the Hippodrome, it was a fantastic moment to see Simon Thomas, Executive Chairman of the famous London casino, go up and receive the trophy for Casino of the Year.  

It was all smiles as the winners gathered on stage for a final group photo, presenting their resplendent Global Gaming Awards proudly to the cameras. The good nature of the event was a major takeaway, and not just between winners. There was recognition for all nominees and the runners up. Before the final award was presented, Arpin said: “I’m going to make an adjustment, this time we’re going to applaud for each one of them.” And it was a heartening moment as Axel Hefer, CEO of Tipico, and George Daskalakis of Kaizen Gaming received their full portion of acclaim for coming third and second respectively. The runner-up spots are no token consolation prize; the competition is fierce and often an extremely close-run thing, so their presence in the  top three indicates huge respect from their fellow professionals.  

And so, still with two full days of the frenetically productive ICE conference to go, the Global Gaming Awards EMEA was over for another year. In 2027, it will be all to play for once again. But what a way to start 2026. 

Global Gaming Insider would like to thank BetConstruct – the Lead Partner of the Global Gaming Awards, as well as all category sponsors – Soft2Bet, Aristocrat Gaming, Interblock Gaming, SPRIBE, GammaStack, 1xBet, GR8 Tech, SmartSoft, Upgames and EGT. We are also grateful to Clarion Gaming for giving the Awards a home at Fira Gran Via.