Regulating the Game has declared the winners of the first RTG Global Awards, honoring exceptional leadership, stewardship, and excellence in gambling policy and regulation, safer gambling practices, compliance, technology, and community results.
The Awards were created to recognize the people, groups, and innovations that significantly contribute to integrity, public trust, and sustainable progress in the sector. After substantial worldwide involvement in the first year, victors have now been chosen in all six categories by an impartial judging panel made up of senior leaders with knowledge across industry, law, integrity, governance, and safer gambling.
The 2026 RTG Global Award winners are:
• Leadership Voice — Danny Munk, Wests Illawarra
• Safer Gambling Champion — Gamble Alert
• Compliance Excellence — Dominic Monti, Wests Illawarra
• RegTech Solution of the Year — Cherry Hub
• Community Impact Initiative — Nathan Reeves, Unibet
• Emerging Leader — Michael Simone, Bankstown Sports
The award winners showcase the diversity of leadership throughout the sector, from individuals steering the industry with vision and intent to those promoting excellence in compliance, innovation, responsible gambling, and community engagement.
RTG Founder and Principal at Vanguard Overwatch, Paul Newson, said the inaugural winners had set a strong benchmark for future years: “The inaugural RTG Global Awards were established to recognise substance, integrity and measurable contribution across the sector. This year’s winners represent the calibre of leadership, innovation and commitment required to strengthen regulatory practice, improve industry capability and deliver better outcomes for communities.”
“What distinguishes these recipients is not simply professional achievement, but their contribution to lifting standards, advancing safer gambling, strengthening compliance and demonstrating leadership in areas that matter to public confidence and sector credibility.”
The quality of this year’s nominations resulted in a very competitive field, with finalists chosen from an exceptional group of candidates in every category. Being shortlisted was already a noteworthy accomplishment, showcasing the quality of work, leadership, and contributions made by the finalists, while the eventual winners came from an incredibly competitive group.
The winners were selected following an independent assessment process led by a judging panel comprising:
• Don Hammond, Chief Executive Officer, Leagues Clubs Australia
• Jamie Nettleton, Former President, International Masters of Gaming Law and Partner, Addisons
• Khalid Ali, Chief Executive Officer, International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA)
• Tracy Parker, Senior Vice-President – Accreditation, Advisory and Insights, Responsible Gambling Council (Canada)
The RTG Global Awards form part of the broader Regulating the Game program, which brings together regulators, industry leaders, compliance professionals and innovators to examine critical issues, advance policy dialogue and strengthen sector capability.
