OLBG, Gambling.com Group and TAG Media were all double winners at this year’s iGB Affiliate awards, held at London’s Troxy on the final night of iGB L!VE.
Among the most contested categories was Best Sports Betting Affiliate, which was scooped up by the family-run business OLBG, founded by Antony Portno in 2002. Judges noted that the UK-Ireland-based affiliate stayed true to its roots with its Harry Derham sponsorship, earning it a second trophy for Affiliate Campaign of the Year. Judges were also impressed by OLBG's “flawless execution and impressive results”.
Gambling.com Group, which recently recovered from a North American slowdown in revenue in Q1, claimed the Best Casino Affiliate award two years in a row as its WhichBingo brand also dethroned five-year winner BingoPort, taking home Best Bingo Affiliate at the Brit-pop themed night (below). One judge praised WhichBingo's “strong, media-first strategy with exceptional creativity for a legacy brand that ultimately led to notable results”.
TAG Media proved itself to be the best boss in the affiliate space for the third year running after it claimed the Employer of the Year accolade once again. One judge described it as “the benchmark when it comes to being a strong, progressive and transparent employer”. It edged out youthful upstart WagerWire, noted for its “zeitgeist feel and imaginative, flat structure”, as well as the aforementioned industry giant Gambling.com Group. TAG's increase in programme earnings and fluency in 14 languages was also noted in helping it clinch the Best Digital Agency prize for its second win of the night.
There were other multi-year winners on the night, too. Statsdrone leapt from a Best Tech for Affiliates win to being crowned Innovator of the Year last night. Judges called the company’s Changelog addressing revenue leakage a “genuinely clever, meaningful innovation” and “a great example of affiliate-focused problem-solving”.
Casino Guru’s Self-Exclusion Standards project and Responsible Gambling Hub remained impactful, with one judge saying it “will affect real change across the industry”. The affiliate’s head of sustainable and safer gambling, Simon Vincze, wasn’t fazed by the growing competition in this category and encouraged other affiliates to join the industry’s Sisyphus battle.
Meanwhile, Brazil-based 3C Gaming was named Best Streaming Affiliate as one judge described the company’s engineering of massive growth in FTDs, deposit volumes and player values via its streaming network in 2024 as “a strong campaign in a crucial emerging market that balanced efficacy with ethical scalability”.
Another Brazilian winner was the Click Hunters affiliate network, which judges noted had a phenomenal year driving NDC volumes and revenue growth. “A high-calibre entry that excelled across all judging criteria and set a benchmark for global affiliate networks,” said one particular judge on Click Hunters Tech's submission.
Bet365 Partners reclaimed the Best Affiliate Programme title after masterminding growth in both existing and new markets. Judges also apppreciated its “co-branded partner BOOST as a way of collaboration” and how the team treated affiliate partners with professionalism and respect.
Nevertheless, last night’s spotlight was reserved for Ory Weihs (below), founder of XLMedia and winner of the Affiliate Idol aka Lifetime Achievement Award. In a video screened last night, industry peers, including Gambling.com Group CEO Charles Gillespie, Better Collective co-CEO Jesper Søgaard and Saroca VP Claire Adamou, paid tribute to the legend.
“As the original, OG public affiliate company CEO, you blazed the trail, and so many companies are now following your footsteps. This industry is certainly very different today, based on all the successes you have had over the years. Many congratulations,” said Gillespie.
Alex Pratt, Clarion Gaming MD and one of the internal panel who selected Weihs as the 2025 Affiliate Idol following submissions from the industry, added: “What you have done for our sector is incredible. You took a small affiliate business and grew it to a goliath, floated on AIM, and then just used it as a launchpad to create so much more. I think lots of companies and lots of people’s careers wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for you.”
The full list of iGB Affiliate Award winners for 2025 is as follows:
Affiliate categories
Safer Gambling Initiative of the Year: Casino Guru
Best Sports Betting Affiliate: OLBG.com
Best Bingo Affiliate: WhichBingo (Highly commended: BingoPort)
Best Poker Affiliate: Worldpokerdeals (Highly commended: Gipsy Team)
Best Casino Affiliate: Gambling.com Group (Highly commended: Traffic Lab)
Best Streaming Affiliate: 3C Gaming
Affiliate Employer of the Year: TAG Media (Highly commended: Gambling.com Group and WagerWire)
Affiliate Campaign of the Year: OLBG’s sponsorship of Harry Derham Racing
Individual categories
Best Affiliate Manager: Rachael Ahern - BetMGM
Affiliate Idol aka Lifetime Achievement Award: Ory Weihs
Programme and network categories
Best Affiliate Network: Click Hunters Tech
Best Affiliate Programme: Bet365 Partners
Programme/ Network Campaign of the Year: BetAffiliation
Service provider categories
Best Digital Agency: TAG Media
Best Tech: Blask
Game of the Year: Supercharged Clovers Hold and Win - Playson
Best Affiliate Management Platform: My Affiliates (Highly commended: RavenTrack)
Open to all
Best Newcomer: Big Betty Partners (Highly commended: iGamingAffiliates.io)
Innovator of the Year: Statsdrone
Rising Star: Hub Affiliations (Highly commended: Already Media)