In previous years, the Casino Guru Awards were something the gambling world watched from afar, from their own screens, as all of it happened online. And even though it worked, and the message of fairness and responsibility in gambling reached its audience, something was missing.

This year, it changed.

Where preparation meets purpose

The Awards finally stepped into the real world, a real live event, and that decision transformed not only the ceremony itself, but also what it meant to everyone involved.
"Honestly, I always envisioned the Casino Guru Awards as a live event. It just took us a little while to make it happen," said Daniela Sliva, Public Relations & Creative Projects Director, and the driving force behind the Awards. "I think hosting it in person brought a new level of credibility, emotion, and connection that simply isn't possible online."

And why did the third year of Casino Guru Awards bring this breakthrough? "We've seen growing interest from industry professionals who value our mission and were ready to stand with us, which gave us the confidence to take this leap. There's definitely a space in the industry for meaningful, values-driven recognition, and we’re proud to fill it."

And that leap wasn’t a small one. Planning a live ceremony meant facing an entirely new set of challenges – everything from coordinating vendors, sponsors, and production teams to managing live show dynamics in real time.

Jakub Gustav, PR Specialist, and Daniela’s right hand during the entire preparation process, admits that this shift meant changing the entire approach to organizing. "During an online event, there are far fewer people involved. Basically, you have the technical staff in a studio and that’s it. And for a live event, obviously, many more people participate in running the show. It gets intense."

The team behind Casino Guru Awards quickly learned that nothing about an event like this happens by accident. Every element needed to think of in advance. "The Awards have had their visual identity for three years now. This year, thanks to live Casino Guru Awards, we introduced slight changes and adapted it more for social media and print materials. It required close collaboration between different departments of Casino Guru, mostly the PR department. We made sure that we communicate clearly the importance and prestige of the event as best as possible,"Rebeka Mlynova, Designer, explained.

The night that delivered

All the effort paid out. The atmosphere buzzed with conversations, laughter, applause, and the awarding ceremony turned out to be more than a backdrop.
"It changed everything. The moment we went live, we entered a different league," said Daniela.

This unique evening wasn’t lost on the guests either. The feedback during and after the ceremony was overwhelmingly positive. "You could hear people chatting and having fun at the tables during the ceremony, enjoying the lovely view of Portomaso from the Hilton Hotel’s balcony, and of course, partying hard at the Tiffany Lounge," said Jakub.
While some team members were busy ensuring that guests were welcomed and everything ran on schedule, Sara Angel, Marketing Specialist, focused her lens on the action—capturing video footage and behind-the-scenes energy to share with the broader audience online.

"Filming was especially interesting, particularly because all the guests were wonderful and brought a lot of good energy to our short videos, and we received only positive reactions. I love seeing both familiar and new faces in our videos. That's what it’s all about, getting to know each other, and hearing the applause after winners are announced. I was really happy to be part of it," Sara said.

"I also think these kinds of events are really important for networking, especially in the iGaming industry," said Jakub. "There are many international, even intercontinental, collaborations in the industry, and you don’t get a lot of opportunities to meet and connect with the people you’re exchanging emails with. That’s what I liked the most about the event: connecting with many people I work with all year round. And it’s even better when I see them win an award."

On the other hand, Rebeka’s fondest memory of Casino Guru Awards 2025 had a little to do with the winners. She was most excited about the round of applause for colleagues. "It was the most beautiful moment—warm and sincere applause for Daniela and Jakub who had the biggest part in organizing this event. It was very sincere and well-deserved."

More than a celebration

But the evening wasn’t just about trophies, glamorous outfits, or great food and drinks. The deeper purpose of the Casino Guru Awards stayed firmly in focus. "The safer gambling isn’t a side initiative, it’s the only path to a sustainable future for the industry," Daniela said. "We want the Awards to be a reminder of that. A reminder that values like transparency, fairness, and player well-being are not only possible, but worth celebrating."

Casino Guru is always trying to challenge the industry to shift its perspective, to see that doing better is not just a moral obligation, but a competitive advantage, and Casino Guru Awards are now a bigger part of that than ever before. "This is our way of raising the bar and pushing for real change," Daniela added.

All the winners of this year’s Casino Guru Awards met the rising bar and then some. These amazing companies and individuals behind them showed real integrity, competence, and last but not least, dedication that was necessary to win. The winners, and shortlisted companies and individuals, proved once again that Casino Guru is successfully leading the iGaming industry with the vision of making online gambling better and safer for everyone.

"I'm glad to be part of a team that managed to organize such a great event—one that was not only fun but also celebrated those who deserve it the most, hard workers, innovators, and proactive industry professionals. I’m really looking forward to seeing how we’ll take it to the next level," said Sara.

Casino Guru Awards are just getting started

As Daniela hinted, the journey for the Casino Guru Awards is only at the beginning.
"We’re just getting started. We’re already thinking about new categories, new people to involve, and new partnerships to explore. The goal is to grow year by year, without ever losing sight of why we started. The Awards will continue evolving, but our strategy will always be rooted in impact," she said.

And the lessons learned? They will carry into future events, says Jakub: "I’m glad we realized that there’s no such thing as a perfect event. There will always be minor mishaps or small mistakes, which are completely normal, especially during a live event. However, the most important thing is to learn from experience and to elevate the event in the future."

As the team prepares for what comes next, one thing is clear: Casino Guru Awards has not just changed format—it has grown into something more real, meaningful, and filled with a lot of promise.

Image credit: Casino Guru News