If the Operator of the Year highlights established market dominance, our North America Rising Star of the Year categories illuminate the industry’s trajectory.
This award celebrates the agile challengers, regional powerhouses, and rapid-growth platforms that are fundamentally disrupting the status quo.
The days of launching a standalone sportsbook and hoping for the best are over. The Sportsbook Rising Star nominees – bet365, Fanatics Sportsbook, and Hard Rock Bet – demonstrate that disruption requires either a massive ecosystem or a flawless product.
In iGaming, the barrier to entry is high, but the 2026 nominees – Betty, Betinia, and Hard Rock Bet Casino – have proven that there is still vast unmined potential if you know where to look.
In the Land-Based category, the nominees – Caesars Virginia, Hard Rock Casino Tejon and Resorts World New York City reflect massive capital investments and regional reinvigoration, while the Lottery nominees – Kansas Lottery, Massachusetts Lottery, and the Multi-State Lottery Association’s Millionaire for Life – prove that even the most traditional gaming verticals are innovating.
Congratulations to all our Gaming Intelligence Awards 2026 | North America winners!
The winners of the GIA North America Operators of the Year 2026 were announced yesterday.
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| iGaming Rising Star of the Year |
| HARD ROCK BET CASINO |
Over the past year, Hard Rock Bet Casino has rapidly evolved into a digital trailblazer, making it the definitive choice for our iGaming Rising Star of the Year. The operator is redefining the iGaming experience by bringing together the unmistakable entertainment DNA of the unique Hard Rock experience with best-in-class product innovation, personalization and legendary rewards. After launching in Michigan in December 2025 – its second online casino launch in the US – Hard Rock Bet made its first foray into the international market by going live in Ontario in July. It has invested heavily in a bespoke digital portfolio and now boasts over 4,400 games, including Atlantic City Live Roulette, an exclusive dual-play live dealer product streamed directly from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City floor.
With an unwavering focus on the player, Hard Rock Bet has invested in making casino play faster, more intuitive and more personalized, setting a new gold standard for what a modern challenger brand can achieve. Legendary Reward Drops take that experience even further, rewarding players in a way that feels uniquely Hard Rock, with more than 20 million opened to date and monthly active redemption doubling year-on-year. An iconic brand with a lot more to come.
Runner-ups:
Betty | Betinia
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| Sportsbook Rising Star of the Year |
| BET365 |
The Rising Star category honours breakout performances by new or rapidly scaling brands that have disrupted the status quo, and bet365 is doing exactly that. All three of our nominees are fighting to break DraftKings and FanDuel’s stranglehold of the US sports betting market, which is no mean feat. Kudos to Fanatics and Hard Rock Bet, but bet365 has built an unrivalled case to be our Sportsbook Rising Star of the Year after accelerating its rollout across the US in the last two years.
While heavily established internationally, bet365’s recent launches in West Virginia, Michigan and Maryland demonstrate a massive operational scale-up, with the operator now live across 18 US states. This has helped bet365 more than double its US market share to around 5.6 per cent in Q2 2026. By successfully adapting its global platform to American betting habits, and executing one of the fastest multi-state expansions in recent history, bet365 is on its way to becoming a North American heavyweight.
Runner-ups
Fanatics Betting & Gaming | Hard Rock Bet
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| Land-based Rising Star of the Year |
| RESORTS WORLD NEW YORK CITY |
Resorts World New York City is our Land-Based Rising Star of the Year after making history in late April by transforming from a leading gaming machine venue into New York City’s very first fully-fledged commercial casino – instantly becoming the largest casino in the state by revenue.
In just 20 weeks since launch, Resorts World NYC generated nearly $600 million in gross revenue, proving the demand for full-scale gaming in the Big Apple. The operator has already grown its gaming floor to over 3,900 slots and 242 live table games. But the best is yet to come. Genting broke ground in July on phase two of its ambitious $5.5 billion expansion, adding 1,600 hotel rooms and a world-class multi-purpose arena. A strong start, record-breaking revenue numbers, and a grand vision for the future make Resorts World NYC one to watch.
Runner-ups:
Caesars Virginia | Hard Rock Casino Tejon
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| Lottery Rising Star of the Year |
| MASSACHUSETTS LOTTERY |
The Massachusetts Lottery is our Lottery Rising Star of the Year after making its digital debut in July with the launch of Mass Lottery Online, marking an exciting new chapter for this established lottery. Powered by Aristocrat Interactive’s platform, the new online service demonstrates how the Massachusetts Lottery is prepared to evolve to meet the needs of its players.
Players are able to buy tickets for popular lottery draw games such as Mass Cash, Mega Millions and Powerball, as well as an expanding range of eInstant games. The Massachusetts Lottery’s digital evolution modernises its gameplay and enables the lottery to compete with online sports betting in the state. The Massachusetts Lottery is already recognised as a world-leading lottery. The launch of iLottery will only enhance that reputation in the years to come, and grow the funds it raises for social programmes and childcare in The Bay State.
Runner-ups:
Kansas Lottery | Multi-State Lottery Association’s Millionaire for Life
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Tomorrow we will announce the 2026 North America Gaming Suppliers of the Year