Global Online Casino Awards for 2021

We here at NZ Online Casinos do a lot of work researching and rating the best online casino 2020 and now of 2021, but it is also good to take a look at the industry as a whole and check out what insiders think about some of the best casinos out there. There a few prominent awards for casinos in general that also celebrate the best online casinos and suppliers. One caveat that we must mention is that even though a casino may be the considered the best internationally, they are not necessarily the best for Kiwis. A few software providers restrict their games in NZ like Aristocrat and some casinos that win awards do not focus on the New Zealand market so may not have good payment methods that are available in NZD. Unfortunately, there are also quite a lot of casinos that do not allow New Zealanders to register at all.

That being said, here is a look at some of the Awards that are given out globally and a list of winners in the online casino categories over the past five years or so.  First, we will see who is giving out these awards.

Major eGaming and Casino Awards

eGR Awards

The eGR Awards are handed out by eGaming Review, both a magazine and online publication that features news, opinion and analysis across the broad spectrum of eGaming. The focus here is on business news and industry developments, so they have an in-depth knowledge of the inner workings of all facets of the online casino market. The annual eGR Operator Awards are the ones we focus on and are considered to be the “Oscars of the eGaming sector”. The awards span both online casinos and sports betting and they also hand out rising star and game of the year awards as well as supplier awards. The big prize, however, is the Operator of the Year award.

Gaming Intelligence Awards

The GIA Awards are held annually by Gaming Intelligence, also a magazine and website that competes with eGR in the global interactive gaming industry, covers legal, financial and market news as well as analysis and opinion. Their awards started in 2013 and hand out a broader selection of awards to online casinos, sports betting websites and suppliers/software developers. The main categories that focus towards online casinos are Casino Operator of the Year, One to Watch, Operator Innovation, Casino Supplier of the Year and Game of the Year. The awards have been held for over a decade, starting way back in 2004 and some of the best online casinos and software providers have won.

Global Gaming Awards

The Global Gaming Awards are hosted by magazine and gaming news website, Gambling Insider, along with G2E, the Global Gaming Expo. They also use KPMG Europe to audit the awards to ensure impartiality. Judges for the awards come from all areas of the industry and include regulators, CEO’s from software suppliers like Microgaming and NetEnt, CEO’s from online casino operators like 888 and LeoVegas as well as a broad selection of other journalists and experts. There are two award ceremonies per year, one in London that includes online casino awards and one in Las Vegas, that only focuses on land-based casino awards and have been given out since 2014. They include recognition for Online Casino of the Year, Online Casino Supplier of the Year, Product of the Year and Payment Solution of the Year.

International Gaming Awards

The IGA Awards have been given out since 2008 by International Gaming Awards which entails industry leaders and publications iGaming Post and Infinity Gaming Magazine. These magazines and websites aim to connect industry experts and report on news and gaming developments. The awards span both land-based casinos and their digital counterparts with the top categories for online gaming including iGaming Software Supplier, Slot Provider, Mobile Operator and, most importantly, Online Casino Operator of the Year.

WIG Women in Gaming Diversity Awards

IGA also has an award ceremony dedicated entirely to women in gaming. Every year since 2010, women involved throughout the gaming industry are honoured for categories that include Innovator of the Year, Industry Pride, Outstanding Contribution, B2B Excellence, Leader of the Year, Young Star and Young leader. The companies also get awards for Company of the Year and Best Place to Work. There are more recent additions that focus on diversity in the workplace such as Diverse and Inclusive Team of the Year and Diversity & Inclusion.