There are no parties this year, so the EGR Nordic Awards went virtual and online this year, like the products and services they celebrate. While the awards are based in and award Nordic businesses, UK players will note that a number of operators and companies they can transact with have been rewarded for their performance in this difficult year.
EGR are a research and marketing company that works across the gambling sector and around the world. Their awards are probably the biggest in the sector and the trophies the dole out are proudly displayed on many a casino site or game developers social media profiles.
The Nordic region is massive in online gambling, perhaps as a source of content more than a market. Sweden in particular is a powerhouse producer of games, software, and casino sites.
So these companies are known in the UK and what happens in Sweden today is often on the way to the UK tomorrow.
The winners in EGR Nordic 2021 that UK players will recognise are:
Relax Gaming as the top Casino Content Supplier. The judges said of Relax: “They have proven themselves as a very good partner to many clients with a track record of being innovative in their in-house built games.”
Some recent releases from Relax include, Temple Quest Spinfinity, Golden Sail and Sherlock Bones.
The top Casino Operator in the EGR Nordics 2021 is also well known in the UK.
Casumo were rated for their: “Strong brand presence with a clear brand profile. Their success is due to a really good retention strategy.”
To customers retention means loyalty. Casumo have won this loyalty with the social element of their site, and “through fun and player satisfaction,” say the EGR Nordics judges. They were also praised for their Responsible Gambling work.
Betsson Group were named the best “Customer Services Operator”. Betsson are UK operators too, with casino, live casino and sports betting sites.
The “clever blend of traditional customer service and cutting edge technology that resonates well with customers,” that they were praised for will be good news for customers wherever they access the site.
Betsson Group also won the top Mobile Operator prize, and those two prizes were enough to make them the overall Operator of the Year, 2021.
A prize that’s very much valued in the current regulatory environment is the Safer Gambling Operator and that went to Mr Green (William Hill International). Mr Green were founded in Sweden and were bought by UK sports betting giants William Hill in January 2019.
This is a tech award, with Mr Green praised for, “Their Predictive Tool is operator driven RG that allows the customer to stay in control based upon data and peer comparison. They should seriously consider commercialising and offering this as a tool to others across the industry.”
Of all the awards this could be the one that has the most impact.
Scientific Games, the supply giants won the sports betting supply award, and Mindway AI are the Rising Star of the year for 2021. This company, which are “truly innovative” according to the jury, is another responsible gambling company and this is another award that will likely have a long-term impact.
LeoVegas Group, Kindred Group, and Shape Games were all commended in their categories.
Awards are a good pointed as to where the industry is going and customers will surely be hearing more from these companies in 2022 and beyond.
