Complete Winners at the 2026 Affiliate Leaders Awards in Lisbon

On September 30, 2026, at the MEO Arena in Lisbon, the Affiliate Leaders Awards 2026 were held, recognising operators, platforms, and campaigns from the global iGaming affiliate ecosystem. The gala, held alongside the SBC Summit, brought together marketing, technology, and affiliate teams to reward execution, product, and leadership.

Summary of the night and event context

The awards took place during the week of the SBC Summit and gathered affiliate professionals from global markets. The categories covered everything from casino and sports affiliates to product innovation and technology platforms. The jury's decision rewarded both established networks and operators and agencies whose work stood out over the past year.

Main winners: operators and affiliate programs

The operator and program categories recognised brands with established business activities. The main winners in these sections were:

• Casino Affiliate of the Year: Catena Media

• Sports Affiliate of the Year: Flashscore Network

• Crypto Affiliate of the Year: GottaGamble

• Best Affiliate Network: Hub Affiliations

• Rising Star of the Year (Affiliate): Big4Play.Live

Novibet won Affiliate Programme of the Year in the large category, while Vegas Legends took the distinction in the Medium/Small category. These awards signal programs with operational metrics, business support, and reach that the jury and peers considered superior during the evaluation period.

Leadership and management recognised

The jury distinguished individual figures for results and management capability in affiliate programs. The winners in leadership and management were:

• Affiliate Leader of the Year: Anastasiia Shcherbyna (Melbet Manager) and Brian Christopher (BC Ventures) — joint winners

• Affiliate Marketing Manager of the Year: Giannis Stavropoulos (Stoiximan)

• Affiliate Content Manager of the Year: Anna Maria Baccaro (Hub Affiliations)

• Affiliate Account / Community Manager of the Year: Leon Soulsby-Constantinou (Entain)

The individual awards honour roles where coordination between product, content, and commercial efforts directly impacts the performance of affiliate programs.

Technology, innovation, and campaigns: who took home Technology of the Year

The technology and campaigns section displayed the technical component of the affiliate ecosystem. The winners were:

• Affiliate Technology of the Year: PartnerMatrix

• Affiliate Management Platform of the Year: RavenTrack

• Affiliate Product Innovation: Better Collective

• Digital Marketing Campaign of the Year: Betsson Group

• Affiliate Traffic Source of the Year: Clever Advertising

• Affiliate-led Campaign of the Year: SlotCatalog

• Marketing Agency of the Year: Basher Agency

In the special section for games, Evolution was recognised with the award for Casino Title of the Year. The list highlights products and platforms that combine traffic reach with management and measurement solutions for affiliates.

Relevance for publishers, operators, and providers

For affiliate managers and providers, the awards offer insight into market priorities: technological integration, traffic quality, and competitive business programs. The winners in technology and platforms set references for product and compliance teams when seeking technical partners or comparing platform capabilities.

The ceremony also serves as a barometer for agencies and marketing models: Basher Agency and SlotCatalog were noted for specific campaigns and their ability to articulate performance-oriented offers.

Final observations on the ceremony and next steps

The evening of September 30 concluded with the complete list of winners and a mention of the final nominees. The official award compilation and the shortlist will be available for public consultation in the industry publications that covered the event.

As a technology correspondent for the sector, I observe that the presence of technical and product categories confirms that affiliate monetisation still relies on both creativity in content and operational solutions that manage traffic and compliance.