2024 categories & criteria

Please note the judging period for the M&I Awards are between April 2023 - March 2024 inclusive. 

Choose from 19 categories divided into 4 areas: Affiliate, Headline, Operator and Supplier.

See below for a full list of categories and the key criteria for each of these that will be considered by our judges.

Headline categories

  • B2B marketing campaign
  • Brand of the year
  • Casino marketing campaign
  • Sportsbook marketing campaign

Affiliate category

  • Innovation in marketing campaign

Operator categories

  • Affiliate marketing campaign
  • Best native app
  • Best use of a brand ambassador
  • CRM campaign
  • Innovation in casino
  • Innovation in esports
  • Innovation in sports betting
  • Innovation of the year
  • Innovative start-up
  • Marketer of the year - Individual
  • Personalised marketing campaign
  • Responsible gambling marketing campaign **NEW FOR 2024**
  • Social marketing campaign

Supplier category

  • Supplier marketing campaign

Headline categories

For these 4 categories, our most hotly contested judges will decide on gold, silver and bronze winners. 

B2B marketing campaign

This rewards the supplier or service provider that has provided the most innovative and creative in-house marketing campaign over the past year. Judges will select a winner based on understanding of innovation and effective use of marketing channels to deliver an increased ROI.

Key criteria include:

-  Commercial success of campaign

- Originality and creativity

- D irect results of marketing campaign in terms of acquisition, revenue, etc.

- Demonstration of achieving core objectives and enhancing brand values

PLEASE NOTE : This category is for SUPPLIERS only

Brand of the year

The award will be presented to the company that is able to demonstrate the strongest and most consistent brand message in the last 12 months across one or more of the main product verticals.

The judges will look for share of voice, potential for future growth, success of overall marketing aims and objectives, integrated marketing campaigns and commercial success. Particular attention will be paid to originality and creativity.

PLEASE NOTE : This category is for OPERATORS only

Casino marketing campaign

This award is designed to reward marketing initiative(s) that have achieved significant commercial success in the previous 12 months and/or achieved major brand development. The judges will be looking for creativity, originality and quality of execution.

Key criteria include:

- Originality and creativity

- Direct results of marketing campaign in terms of acquisition, revenue, etc.

- Demonstration of achieving core objectives and enhancing brand values

- Future development possibilities

PLEASE NOTE :  This category is for OPERATORS only

Sportsbook marketing campaign

This award is designed to reward marketing initiative(s) that have achieved significant commercial success in the previous 12 months and/or achieved major brand development. The judges will be looking for creativity, originality and quality of execution.

Key criteria include:

- Commercial success of campaign

- Originality and creativity

- Direct results of marketing campaign in terms of acquisition, revenue, etc.

- Demonstration of achieving core objectives and enhancing brand values

PLEASE NOTE :  This category is for OPERATORS only

Affiliate category

Innovation in marketing campaign 

This award is designed to reward marketing initiative(s) that have achieved significant commercial success in the previous 12 months and/or achieved major brand development. The judges will be looking for creativity, originality and quality of execution.
Key criteria include:
- Commercial success of campaign
- Originality and creativity
- Direct results of marketing campaign in terms of acquisition, revenue, etc.
- Demonstration of achieving core objectives and enhancing brand values


Operator categories

Affiliate marketing campaign

This award is designed to reward any entrepreneurial marketing initiative and/or innovative new product or brand development that demonstrated new thinking and which can boast significant success.

Key criteria include:

-  Commercial success and business growth

- Sales/market share figures

- Description of how market responded to the idea

- Description of future development possibilities

Best native app

The award will go to the operator that can demonstrate it has developed a market-leading native app over the course of the past 12 months. Entries can be from any vertical and judges will be looking for evidence of innovation, strength of product, revenue growth and customer acquisition.

Key criteria include:

- Commercial success and business growth

- Differentiation and originality of product(s)

- Quality of customer experience

- Innovation in helping set offering apart from competitors

Best use of a brand ambassador

This award will go to the operator that can demonstrate significant commercial success in the previous 12 months and/or achieved major brand development through use of a brand ambassador. The judges will be looking for creativity, originality and quality of execution.

Key criteria include:

- Commercial success of campaign led by brand ambassador

- Originality and creativity

- Direct results of marketing campaign in terms of acquisition, revenue, etc

- Demonstration of achieving core objectives and enhancing brand values

CRM campaign

The award will go to the operator that can demonstrate the most innovation in CRM through product, marketing, technology and/or overall growth.

Key criteria include:

- Commercial success and business growth

- Sales/market share figures

- Impact on acquisition and retention

- Description of how market responded to the idea

Innovation in casino

The award will go to the operator that can demonstrate the most innovation in casino through product, marketing, and/or technology.

Key criteria include:

- Commercial success and business growth

- Differentiation and originality of product(s)

- First to market innovation

- Impact on customer acquisition and retention

Innovation in esports

This award is for operators offering an esports product. The award will go to the operator that can demonstrate how it has found success in the field of esports betting during the 12-mont period, with judges taking into consideration product differentiation, presentation and ability to attract a new demographic into the egaming sector.

Key criteria include:

- Growth and commercial success

- Innovation and differentiation

- Quality of product

- Quality of brand and marketing

Innovation in sports betting

The award will go to the operator that can demonstrate the most innovation in sports betting through product, marketing, and/or technology.

Key criteria include:

- Commercial success and business growth

- First to market innovation

- Impact on customer acquisition and retention

- Offering personalisation and/or control to customer

Innovation of the year

The award will be presented to the company that is able to demonstrate the most impressive and business changing innovation of the last 12 months across one or more of the main product verticals, sectors, marketing and/or technology – in particular judges will look for an idea, product or technology that has delivered business growth, additional revenue and profitability for the operator in question over the course of the last 12 months.

PLEASE NOTE : This category is for OPERATORS only

Innovative start-up

The award will be presented to the start-up (three-years-old or less) that is able to demonstrate the most impressive and business changing innovation of the last 12 months across all product verticals, sectors, marketing and/or technology or overall business growth.

Please note: This category is only open to companies that have been established for three years or less and have not previously won this category.

Marketer of the year - Individual

This award is open to all marketers from egaming operators. It will recognise an individual that has demonstrated innovation, forward-thinking and a dedication to delivering exceptional marketing campaigns over the past 12 months. The winning individual will show a clear passion for their brand, a creative use of new technologies, data analytics and marketing techniques to generate growth, and a strong awareness of current safer gambling regulation and developments. The individual may nominate themselves or be nominated by their organisation or peer.

Personalised marketing campaign

This award is designed to reward personalised marketing initiative(s) that have achieved significant commercial success in the previous 12 months and/or achieved major brand development. The judges will be looking for creativity, originality and quality of execution.

Key criteria include:

- Commercial success and business growth

- Originality and creativity

- Attractive return on investment

- Evidence of tailored messaging and communications

Responsible gambling marketing campaign **NEW FOR 2024**


This award is designed to reward socially responsible marketing initiatives that have achieved significant success in highlighting the importance of responsible gambling. The judges will be looking for creativity, originality and quality of execution.

Key criteria include:

- Demonstration of responsible gambling at heart of campaign

- Originality and creativity - Understanding customer needs/problems

- Evidence of leading to a change in player habits

Social marketing campaign

This award is designed to reward any entrepreneurial social marketing initiative and/or innovative new product or brand development that demonstrated new thinking and which can boast significant success.

Key criteria include:

- Commercial success of campaign

- Originality and creativity

- Attractive return on investment

- Direct results of marketing campaign in terms of acquisition, revenue, etc

-Demonstration of achieving core objectives and enhancing brand values

Supplier category

Supplier marketing campaign

This rewards the supplier or PR firm that has provided the most innovative and creative marketing campaign for a client over the past year. Judges will select a winner based on understanding of client needs and delivery of brief, innovation and effective use of marketing channels to deliver an increased ROI.

Key criteria include:

- Innovation and creativity

- Business growth

- Understanding customer needs

- Reaction to market challenges and flexibility

Ensuring excellence is recognised

EGR’s team of independent, external judges is updated each year and is selected to bring a diverse range of in-depth egaming expertise to the judging process. All judges are required to sign a disclaimer form to keep all submitted information and the winners confidential, and are obliged to declare that they have no conflicts of interest prior to judging.

The EGR Marketing & Innovation Awards voting process will be officiated by third-party BDO.

The adjudication by third-party BDO continues to be a part of EGR's pledge to make the judging process the most stringent in the industry. This ensures that the judging process is completely transparent, and the winners will clearly demonstrate the innovation and commercial success required to be rewarded with this honour.