A Celebration of Fairness, Responsibility, and Innovation in iGaming

The countdown is on for the Casino Guru Awards 2025, where the most impactful and forward-thinking figures in the online gambling space will be honored. After an intensive evaluation period, the panel of expert judges has already cast their votes. The winners are now known—though kept under tight wraps—awaiting their official reveal during the gala evening.

The Gala Ceremony, taking place on June 6, 2025, at the prestigious Hilton Hotel in St. Julian’s, Malta, will bring together key stakeholders from across the industry to celebrate excellence in transparency, fairness, and player protection. This year’s event continues to spotlight initiatives that drive real change, showcasing responsibility and innovation at the heart of iGaming.

In addition to the categories evaluated by the judges, the Players’ Choice and Voice of the People awards have engaged the wider public—highlighting community involvement. Notably, the Voice of the People category attracted over 150,000 public votes, underscoring the growing influence and reach of the Awards.
“It’s truly inspiring to witness such a strong response from the global community. The number of nominations and public votes speaks volumes about how well-known and meaningful these projects have become,” said Daniela Sliva, PR & Creative Projects Director at Casino Guru.

Since the launch of the 2025 edition, the Awards have attracted nearly 600,000 visitors, generated hundreds of nominations, and reflected a growing movement toward greater accountability in the industry.
The shortlist represents a diverse mix of organizations pushing boundaries and raising standards in responsible gambling—including notable names such as EveryMatrix, DraftKings, Pragmatic Play, BGaming, Soft2Bet and more. The evaluation phase involved detailed questionnaires, evaluation calls with shortlisted companies, and a transparent scoring framework. To preserve credibility and impartiality, judges disclosed all potential conflicts of interest before the review process began.

Gala highlights
Hosted by renowned presenter Martin Sepiano, the evening promises an engaging blend of insight and entertainment:

• Panel Discussion with Judges – A rare behind-the-scenes look into the evaluation process and the values driving the Awards.
• Live Performances by Jessica Micallef & Band
• Special Dance Act by The Snake Venom Project Dancers
• Afterparty at Tiffany Lounge with DJ Luke Panza

With anticipation building, the Casino Guru Awards 2025 Gala promises not only to reveal the industry’s top performers, but also to foster meaningful dialogue about the future of fair and responsible gambling. Whether judged by a panel of experts or chosen by the public, each nominee has contributed to shaping a more transparent and ethical iGaming landscape.

At this year’s NEXT Summit in Valletta, the Xanada Pitch Contest — one of the most talked-about investment events in the industry — reached its finale.

Organized by Xanada Investments, the contest brought together startups, investors, and business leaders for a high-stakes pitch competition that reflects the fund’s mission: to support bold founders building the future.

The finalists — Sweepium, Jurnii, MoneyPools, BetRaze, and StatsDrone — delivered top-tier performances during a high-stakes pitch battle on May 8 in Valetta. Each had undergone an in-depth selection process and an on-stage rehearsal that resulted in one of the highest-quality showcases the industry has seen, judged by:

• Vladimir Malakchi (CEO & Managing Partner at Xanada Investments)
• Pierre Lindh (Co-founder & Managing Director at NEXT.io)
• Dmitry Belianin (CEO & Founder at Belianin)
• Justin Paul Anastasi (CEO at VentureMax)

For many, the contest’s impact extended beyond the stage:

“The Xanada pitch contest provided our start-up with a platform to not only showcase our business to the four judges, but to the whole industry. Our pitch led to a number of concrete opportunities from investors, advisors and potential clients. It was a huge and rare opportunity to stand side by side on the biggest stage with the best of the industry”.

Fraser Dunk, CEO at Jurnii

“The Xanada Pitch Contest did everything we hoped for and more when it comes to getting investor intros. Not only did we get the attention, the interest from investors is stronger than without. Even for investors knowing we were pitching has opened doors. This event will be a pivotal moment in our growth and journey of our company. We are forever grateful to Xanada Investments and Vladimir Malakchi for putting this together to make our lives easier”.

John Wright, CEO & Co-Founder at StatsDrone

“I was really impressed with the great organisation of the event and the kindness of the team. It is important to give start-ups the stage to present their ideas and get feedback, no matter the stage. That’s exactly what we’ve received. I made so many valuable connections at the event and was contacted by interesting people afterwards. I really loved the experience, and I’m looking for more contests from Xanada Investments.”

Idir Alane, CEO at MoneyPools

The Winners

The Xanada Pitch Contest ended with two standout winners — each recognized for different strengths.

The Grand Winner was selected by a panel of expert judges, who scored each finalist across five key criteria: Idea, Business Model, Team, Market Potential, and Progress & Traction.

Meanwhile, the Public Choice Award was determined by a two-week online vote, drawing over 500 unique submissions from supporters and community members.

Sweepium, a B2B platform and game aggregator aiming to transform the sweepstakes space, took the top spot — earning the $50,000 equity investment and securing a strategic partnership with Xanada Investments.

Jurnii, a UX-focused agency powered by proprietary AI tools that deliver automated insights and design recommendations, won over the public and claimed the Public Choice Award. As part of the prize, they gained access to exclusive partner offerings from NEXT.io, Lilith PR Agency, 15M Mastery, and AffPapa — support designed to help propel their next stage of growth.

“We built Xanada Investments to be the kind of fund we wished existed when we were founders,” said Vladimir Malakchi, CEO & Managing Partner at Xanada Investments.

“This contest is just the beginning. We’re actively looking to back exceptional founders across the iGaming space — and provide them with the resources, network, and capital they need to reach their full potential. If you’ve got a product with traction, a strong team, and a scalable vision — we want to hear from you.”

Xanada Is Looking for What’s Next

The contest may be over — but opportunities with Xanada Investments are wide open. The fund continues to review early-stage startups for investment and long-term partnership.

If you’re building or scaling in iGaming, you can still pitch your ventures directly — beyond the contest — by reaching out at [email protected].

Under Xanada’s model, startups get more than just funding — they get active partners, access to a trusted network, and a fast-moving approach to growth.