Stephen Carter, Clarion Gaming’s Head of Affiliate Content and internal judging lead for the IGB Affiliate Awards has praised both the number of submissions received and their overall quality. 

Speaking as organisers published the list of finalists across the 20-strong categories, he confirmed: “Our external industry judges who are selected for their expertise and their depth of knowledge of the iGaming affiliate sector have been hugely impressed by the overall quality of the individual submissions and the number of companies that have chosen to participate in the 2025 edition of the Awards.

“Both metrics are indicative of how seriously the Awards are taken and how they are widely recognised for being the most prestigious and transparent merit-based awards in iGaming.

“It’s also significant that 40% of the submissions which have progressed to the finals are from businesses not previously shortlisted. This level of engagement demonstrates the relevance and reputation enjoyed by the iGB Affiliate Awards across the iGaming ecosystem.”

Madrid headquartered Betandeal has achieved the most shortlisted entries, making the cut in five categories. The affiliate agency is closely followed by Gambling.com Group, which has put itself in the running across four categories, for best affiliate in casino, sports and bingo (via its WhichBingo brand) as well as Affiliate Employer of the Year.

Newcomer WagerWire has also been shortlisted in four categories across sports, Safer Gambling Initiative of the Year, Employer of the Year and Best Affiliate Campaign.

Interest is mounting in the showpiece black-tie event, with the industry celebration being presented by broadcaster and musician Myleene Klass MBE.

The critically acclaimed television personality, part of the original Britpop era, will host the Cool Britannia-themed event being held 3 July at the Troxy, the stunning Art Deco masterpiece situated in the heart of East London.

The Troxy has an 80-year musical heritage and has featured performances by Liam Gallagher, Jarvis Cocker, Garbage and the Cure.

Members of the iGaming affiliate community can still participate in the public vote for Game of the Year by following the link found at https://www.igblive.com/igb-affiliate-awards-2025. Votes must be cast before 3 June.

The iGB Affiliate Awards shortlist can be viewed at:  https://www.igbaffiliate.com/en/articles/121752/igb-affiliate-awards-2025-shortlist-revealed/

The London-based affiliate is also searching for seven more recruits to move previously outsourced tech to fully in house

• Expansion has been ambitious, with 32 new hires in the last 12 months

• Focus is on efficient yet sustainable growth

• The hiring boom has necessitated a move to larger headquarters in London

Power affiliate QiH Group has been making bold moves in the past year, with both expansion and diversification being  integral parts to an ambitious growth strategy.

In 2023, the iGaming company – which counts Flutter and Entain amongst its impressive client list – began building a C-level layer into the business, with new positions created and filled in operations, marketing and finance.

The latest of those hires is in technology, with QiH Group’s first-ever  CTO, Sachin Saxena, joining from digital health company Congenica in September of 2024.

Since then, Saxena has used his international B2B experience to build the company’s tech capabilities, working with the company’s senior leadership, stakeholders, and cross-functional teams to transition previously outsourced functions and platforms to in-house talent.

“It’s no simple feat overseeing the change management process that is necessary to move from fully outsourced to completely in-house tech capacity,” explains Saxena, “but the most important aspect of that is the people. We really needed to find the right people fit culturally and experientially and we needed to do it efficiently.

“So far, we’ve employed nine engineers, and are actually looking for a further seven tech team members at a minimum,” he says.

Talent shortage, still?

One of the biggest challenges Saxena says the tech industry has faced in recent years, whether in betting and gaming or other sectors, is the talent shortage that first appeared during the COVID-19 pandemic and hasn’t abated since.

“Recruiting into the iGaming industry has been really interesting, Saxena shares, “mainly because for a lot of people, betting and gaming just isn’t a sector we’d considered previously. Since joining six months ago, I’ve been fortunate enough to learn what a fascinating industry it is, and to convey that to potential new hires.”

A key USP that Saxena is hoping will make the rest of this recruiting round smoother is how seriously QiH Group takes its people-first ethos.

He says: “HR isn’t an afterthought for QiH, which is evident in policies, procedures, flexible working arrangements and from internal promotion – for example, our COO, Andrew Lee, started his career in iGaming 10 years ago with QiH and now he’s at C-level as a decision-maker. So the upward mobility that QiH provides is a big selling point.”

But the main thing that the CTO loves about working for an iGaming affiliate?

“It’s just really, really fun.”