Stephen Carter, head of affiliate content at WorldGaming, believes that the judging process and commitment to transparency make July’s iGB Affiliate Awards the most democratic and open in the gaming space. Expanding on the process and what it means to the affiliate community, he highlighted the “non-negotiable” focus on fairness as being the key commitment that’s powering the Awards’ growing reputation.

Speaking ahead of submissions being processed to be part of the 19th edition of the 22-category Awards, Carter, the internal judging lead, stated: “We relaunched as a live event in 2021 with the hiatus caused by lockdown providing an opportunity to reflect, rethink and reach out to our community of stakeholders. The feedback we received about industry awards per se was that the proposition required a refresh, with the format seen as tired and formulaic, and judging at best opaque with the same organisations invariably winning every year.”

Central to the relaunch was a root-and-branch overhaul of the judging process which included a focus on diversity, transparency and potential conflicts of interest as well as the use of NDAs. Carter confirmed: “The criteria and judging have been fine-tuned each year based on our experience, the feedback received from the iGaming affiliate community as well as from our judges. As a consequence, I am confident that the initiatives that we’ve introduced mean that our judging process is among the most rigorous, fair and democratic in the business.”

The fact that submissions are judged exclusively on their merit means that the iGB Affiliate Awards fulfil a core objective. “Showcasing emerging, fast-growing and disruptive businesses remains central to our mission,” stated Carter. “The market knows that submissions will be treated entirely on their merit and, as a consequence, it won’t be the same companies walking away with the prizes. We remain focused on continuing to provide our sector with the very best possible platform for the recognition and celebration of its achievements and its stand-out performers.”

The Awards countdown sees nominations close at midnight on 1 April 2026. The shortlist of finalists will be revealed 5 May with voting opening for Best Affiliate Manager on the same day. Voting for Best Affiliate Manager and Game of the Year will close 29 May.

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