Do We Really Need Another iGaming Award Show?

Last year, when I heard about the first iGaming Idol award show, my first thought was 'no, we do not need another self-congratulatory award show!' I was convinced it'd be another set of awards where we all pat ourselves on the back for how rich and clever we are, nominate our friends and then the person whose company pays the most, wins. But, for one, I am happy to say that I was wrong!

iGaming Idol in Malta

This year I acted as a judge for the Affiliate Manager Idol award, so I got to see much more closely how this particular award event works, and I was very pleasantly surprised. iGaming Idol is an award show with a difference.It's based on 3 main pillars:

• recognition of individuals
• charity
• entertainment.

These may not sound super innovative, but in this industry, they really are. Most award shows are more focused on recognising companies rather than the individuals. Your likelihood of winning really depends on who you work for, how prolific the company is and how much the company donates to the show. But iGaming Idol is not concerned with companies, and instead, wants to showcase high performing humans. Want to know how I am so sure?

Honest Awards

Well, in acting as a judge, I had the chance to sit with 3 other judges and meet and evaluate all nominated individuals for the Affiliate Manager Idol award. We met each person for 15 minutes where they introduced themselves and told us about their role and their experience, then we got to ask any questions we wanted in order to deduce exactly how knowledgeable they were in their field and we each independently rated. We were also audited by a representative of BDO Malta who sat in on the judging process and collected all of our ratings.

Giving Back

iGaming Idol is charity obsessed. The people behind this initiative see how much money is in this industry and they want to do something to give back to the beautiful little island that hosts us. For this reason, they are supporting the Malta Community Chest Fund and aim to make a sizeable donation at the end of the show. They set themselves an aggressive target but whether they reach it or not, the charity will enjoy a big boost from the fruits of this new show.

How Can I Nominate?

Nominations for iGaming Idol 2017 are already closed. The judging process has taken place and the shortlist has been announced. On September 26th, the winners for each category will be awarded their new title in front of a host of friends, colleagues and peers. But the show will be returning in 2018 to recognise a whole new group of talented individuals. Keep an eye out to see who goes on to win each category this year, and make sure to like iGaming Idol on facebook so you can nominate yourself or a colleague in time for next years awards.