ENTRY RULES & CRITERIA


Please read the judging criteria carefully before
completing the entry formYour entry should clearly demonstrate how you have met all of the points detailed in the relevant category criteria.

On the entry form you will need to explain in a maximum of 1000 words why you think that your business should win the Award, giving supporting examples and evidence to illustrate your answer.

Please ensure that you have carefully read the judging criteria for your chosen category (see below) and that your answer covers each of the points outlined in the criteria. Please submit any supporting material together with your entry form.


You will need to complete a separate entry form for each category that you wish to enter.

Please note that the judging period is from 1 November 2015 – 31 October 2016.

The deadline for entries is Friday 9 December.







OPERATOR CATEGORIES

 

Affiliate program 

The judging panel is looking to reward the operator affiliate team that has stood out in this highly competitive environment. Judges are looking for program that have worked with affiliates in the most innovative and effective ways. They will also be looking for evidence of strong affiliate partnerships and effective use of brand messaging.


Key criteria include:

• Innovation 

• Brand messaging

• Acquisition or retention numbers 

• Affiliate relationship management

 

Customer services operator 

This award will go to the organisation that can best demonstrate that it truly has the customer at the heart of its business and manages its resources to continuously improve its performance standards ensuring it can meet the needs of its entire customer base. 


Key criteria include:

• Staff engagement in customer satisfaction strategy 

• Continual training and development 

• Continual measurement 

• Competitive advantage 

• Impact on retention 

 

Horseracing operator NEW

This award will recognise the operator that has stood out in the competitive horse race wagering space, through quality of product, customer centricity, differentiation and commercial success. Judges will be looking for an operator that offers a market leading product combined with an effective marketing strategy and CRM capabilities, as well as strong commercial performance.


Key criteria include:

Quality and breadth of offering

Scale and product diversity

Growth and commercial success

Quality of online and offline marketing

 

Innovation of the year

This award will recognise the operator that can demonstrate it has developed the most innovative product or platform which helped it stand out from its competitors during the past 12 months. Relevant products include – but are not limited to – new betting products, mobile and tablet apps and marketing technology. Judges will be looking for the success of the product, both commercially and in terms of solving a business need, as well as the level of innovation demonstrated in its conception and development.


Key criteria include:

• Quality of product

• Evidence of positive commercial impact

• Innovation and differentiation

• Link to solving direct business need

 

Marketing campaign 

This rewards the company that has run the most innovative, intelligent and creative marketing campaign over the past year. Judges will select a winner based on effective use of brand marketing, contextual advertising, banner ads, affiliate programs, use of SEO and viral marketing. The award is not simply for the most effective campaign in terms of ROI, but the financial performance of the campaign or its success in recruiting new customers will be a major factor in judging a winner.


Key criteria include:

• Innovation and originality

• Use of different channels

• Creativity

• ROI or Player recruitment numbers

 

Mobile sports product 

This award recognises the operator that has made the biggest impact within the mobile and tablet space during the previous 12 months. It is open both to mobile-only operators and online wagering operators with a mobile product. The judges will be looking for evidence of revenue growth, acquisition through the mobile channel, innovation and strength of product. The winner will be the operator that can demonstrate a successful cross-platform offering with strong functionality and growth. It is not an award for the largest operator, but scale will be a consideration.


Key criteria include:

• Revenue growth

• Mobile player numbers and growth

• Product functionality

• Innovation

• Cross-platform strategy

 

Operator of the year

This award recognises the operator that has set the standards for others to follow over the past year. The judges will be looking for a company that has acted as a driving force for innovation across all areas of the business. It is not a reward for the largest operator, but scale will be a major consideration and the winning operator will need to demonstrate a market-leading proposition. Judges will be looking for a winner that has clearly differentiated itself from the chasing pack in its sector, through a mixture of growth, innovation and strong product performance in one or more of the key verticals. 


Key criteria include: 

• Scale 

• Growth 

• Leadership 

• Innovation

 

Rising star

The Rising Star prize rewards a B2C operator of up to three years in existence that, despite being new to the sector, is rapidly growing and establishing itself as a dominant force in the industry.


Key criteria include: 

• Greatest promise 

• Innovation 

• Revenue growth 

• Profitability

• Brand recognition


PLEASE NOTE: THIS CATEGORY IS ONLY OPEN TO COMPANIES (NOT BRANDS) THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR THREE YEARS OR LESS AND HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY WON THIS CATEGORY.


Social gaming operator (slots, casino, bingo, poker)

This award recognises the social gaming operator that has set the standards for others to follow over the past 12 months in the Facebook and/or mobile sectors. Judges will look for a company that has dominated the social gaming space and acted as a driving force for innovation. It is not a reward for the largest operator, but scale will be a major consideration.


Key criteria include: 

• Scale 

• Growth 

• Product quality

• Innovation

 

Social marketing operator

This award recognises the operator that has led the way in social media marketing over the past 12 months. Judges will look for a company that has utilised the likes of Twitter and Facebook to build and sustain their customer base, and acted as a driving force for innovation. 


Key criteria include: 

• Customer reach and engagement 

• Innovation  

• Brand exposure  

• Use of social media in customer service

 

Socially responsible operator 

Judges will award the prize to the operator that has done the most to implement procedures designed to protect their customers. The winner will be rewarded for age verification technology, problem gambling support, responsible gambling safeguards and comprehensive KYC procedures. Special consideration will be given to operators that have campaigned for wider industry controls to ensure socially responsible gambling.


Key criteria include:

• Age verification 

• Problem gambling assistance and safeguards

• CRM and problem gambling detection 

• KYC procedures 

• Advancement of research in gambling  

 

AFFILIATE CATEGORY

 

Affiliate of the year

The judges will reward the affiliate that has stood out from the pack in a competitive sports betting sector through innovation, traffic generation and growth, genuine ROI for operators and the ability to build strong partner relationships. This is not an award for the biggest affiliate site, but scale will be a factor in determining the winner. Entrants will need to provide evidence of growth, innovation, quality and scale of traffic and differentiation.

Key criteria include:

• Differentiation and quality of offering

• Quality and scale of traffic

• Growth 

• Innovation 

• Strong partner relationships

 

SERVICES CATEGORIES


Professional services partner

This category will reward the professional services partner which delivered the best in specialist advice and support to their clients over the past 12 months.  Eligible companies include but are not limited to recruitment consultancies, legal firms, management consultancies, industry consultants and accountancy firms.  The judging panel will be looking for evidence of excellence in customer service, as well as those which have delivered impressive and tangible results. 


Key criteria: 

• Business growth

• Delivery of brief

• Reliability of service

• Reaction to market challenges

 

Sports betting supplier 

This award recognises the supplier which has provided market leading technology to the online wagering sector over the past 12 months. Examples include but are not limited to sportsbook platforms, mobile app development, pricing and risk management, sportsbook data, and marketing software.


Key criteria:

• Back office/reporting 

• Quality of overall service

• Product innovation

• Commercial success

• Understanding of customer needs


To start your entry to the awards, please click here