Casino Guru has released the shortlist for the 4th annual Casino Guru Awards 2026, following hundreds of submissions from companies and executives across the gambling sector.
Applications came from across the industry, with companies and individuals submitting entries in multiple categories. After reviewing the submissions, Casino Guru selected finalists that met the format and requirements established for each category.
The 2026 edition received a higher volume of applications compared with previous iterations, resulting in dozens of shortlisted nominees across awards covering leadership, operator performance, innovation, and social responsibility.
Daniela Sliva, PR & Creative Project Director at Casino Guru, said: “This year exceeded our expectations in terms of the volume and quality of the applications we received.
“The Casino Guru Awards are proud to recognize some of the most influential companies and individuals across a growing range of categories, from operators to innovators, social responsibility leaders, and rising stars, based on clear and no-nonsense criteria designed to help make the space safer and more transparent. We are excited to begin the evaluation process on April 30, discussing each candidate’s application in detail and producing a fair outcome based on the expertise of our dedicated panel of judges.”
Shortlisted candidates announced
The shortlist includes executives, organizations, and gaming companies competing across several award categories.
iGaming Changemaker of the Year
• Michael Schmitt, Founder, Malta Media
• Marina Ostrovtsova, CEO of BGaming
• Katie Kohler, Senior iGaming Communications Lead at BetMGM
• Ihor Zarechnyi, CEO at NeverEnding
• Anastasios Ioannidis, Head of Affiliates at ARRISE Powering Pragmatic Play
• Anton Eshtokin, Chief Marketing Officer at Boomerang Partners
• Ivan Kravchuk, CEO at Evoplay
• Yevhen Krazhan, CSO at GR8 Tech
• David Natroshvili, Founder at Spribe
Woman Leader of the Year
• Daisy White, Director of Operations, Rdentify & Rdentify Connect
• Maria Bashkevich, Head of Marketing at Uplatform
• Marina Ostrovtsova, CEO of BGaming
• Lauryn Duncan, Head of Sales at Peter & Sons
• Paula Murphy, Head of Business Development at Mindway AI
• Anastasiia Shcherbyna, CMO at MelBet Partners & Affiliates
• Valentina Bagniya, CMO at SOFTSWISS
• Lori E. Kalani, Chief Responsible Gaming Officer at DraftKings
• Abigail Welch, Editor at iGaming News
• Dr. Jennifer Shatley, Executive Director at Responsible Online Gaming Association
Young Changemaker Award
• Irina Veselkova, Marketing Strategy Coordinator at Endorphina
• Richardson Amartey, Director of Business Development, Youth and Social Media at The Digital Wellness Center
• Sean Liu, Director of Product Development at TaDa Gaming
• Diana Larina, Head of Marketing at Evoplay
• Carl Ørnstrup Etzerodt, Legal and Regulatory Affairs Manager at Mindway AI
• Elen Atanesyan, Marketing Manager at 18Peaches
The Most Impactful Social Responsibility Initiative
• DAR Bjorn Charity Gala by BGaming
• Ellipse Entertainment Limited
• IPRH Responsible Gambling Project (Zodpovědné hraní)
• Know Your Play – Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA)
• Flutter UKI
• The Digital Wellness Center
• Mindway AI
The Most Transparent Casino
• BETANDYOU
• CASINOANDYOU
• Playfina Casino
• Spinline Casino
• Gamblezen Casino
The Fairest Bonus Policy
• iWild Casino
• Snatch Casino
• Betandyou
• CASINOANDYOU
• King Billy
• Playfina Casino
• Spinline Casino
The Fairest General Terms & Conditions
• Betandyou
• CASINOANDYOU
• LuckyHills
The Most Effective Handling of Complaints
• iWild Casino
• Betandyou
• CASINOANDYOU
• Vavada Online Casino
• 22Bet Casino
• Wazbee Casino
• RocketPlay Casino
• Playfina Casino
• Gamblezen Casino
• Megapari
Players’ Choice
• Pragmatic Play
• Popiplay
• Tada Gaming
• Relax Gaming
• BGaming
• Endorphina
• Evoplay
• Mancala Gaming
• Betsoft
• EGT
• Nolimit City
• PlaynGo
• Yggdrasil
• Push Gaming
• Habanero
• 18peaches
• Big Time Gaming
• Red Tiger
• NetEnt
• Wicked Games
Rising Star in Responsible Gambling
• Lamba Gaming
• IC360
• Peter & Sons
• GambleAwareNG
• WinSpirit
• Super
• IRIS
• Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA)
• Tooniebet
Industry Culture Shaper
• Endorphina
• Evoplay
• SOFTSWISS
• GR8 Tech
• Flutter UKI
• SPRIBE
Voice of the People
Evaluation process begins April 30
The judging panel will begin evaluating the shortlisted nominees starting April 30. Judges will meet in person and conduct calls and discussions with applicants during the review period.
The panel will examine each application and ask presenters questions regarding their submissions before determining the final recipients in each category.
The evaluation process allows the panel to conduct an independent review of the applications and select candidates in every category.
The awards process runs throughout the year, beginning after one ceremony and continuing until the next. The recipients of the 4th Annual Casino Guru Awards will be announced during a live ceremony at The Xara Lodge in Malta on May 25, 2026, held in partnership with NEXT.io.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/03/06/117882-casino-guru-reveals-nominees-for-2026-awards-program-following-record-industry-engagement
