This summer London hosted some of the most prominent figures in the iGaming industry, as the iGB Affiliate Awards brought together affiliates, technology companies and other industry professionals for one of the sector’s major annual events.
WorldPokerDeals.com, a platform known for its poker sites reviews, was one of the winners and earned the Best Poker Affiliate award at the 2026 ceremony. This result was especially important since the company had already won that category in 2025, making it the firm’s second consecutive year winning the award.
The event took place on 2 July at The Shard in London, on the same night as the finale of iGB L!VE. As a city accustomed to hosting major international business events, London provided a fitting setting for an awards ceremony that also put the spotlight on this specialist area of the digital industry.
A competitive Best Poker Affiliate category
WorldPokerDeals wasn’t awarded without there having been strong competition; PokerNews, PokerListings, GipsyTeam and Big4Play were also on the 2026 shortlist for Best Poker Affiliate.
WorldPokerDeals has therefore received a significant acknowledgment since these individuals are well-known figures in the fields of poker media and affiliate marketing.
The company already had a significant record at the awards. As WorldPokerDeals states, it has been nominated seven times since 2019, with the only exception being 2023 when the Best Poker Affiliate award wasn’t given. Prior to the 2026 ceremony it had won the award in 2019 and 2025.
This most recent result is therefore the programme’s third win in the Best Poker Affiliate category and its second victory in two years.
Why the award matters
Poker affiliate websites function in a highly specialized segment of the broader iGaming industry. Unlike a simple list of operators, a valuable poker resource must answer questions that are actually important to players.
This can involve cash-game traffic, tournament schedules, the amount of the rake and rakeback, software, bonuses, regional availability and methods of payment. Different players also have quite different priorities; for instance, someone who is focused on multi-table tournaments will probably be looking for a completely different poker room from a regular cash-game player.
The WorldPokerDeals platform has been built on this kind of information by combining poker room comparisons with rakeback offers, promotions, software resources, industry news and player support.
The fact that it has won again is significant since the iGB Affiliate Awards look at more than just visibility; during the 2026 judging process, an external panel of industry specialists examined the entries according to the criteria set out for each of the categories.
For the Best Poker Affiliate category, WorldPokerDeals cited traffic and revenue growth, user experience, innovation, partner relationships, adaptation to market challenges, and expansion as key factors.
London hosts the 2026 ceremony
This year, the event gained an extra dimension, as the awards took place at Aqua Shard on the 31st floor of The Shard, one of London’s best-known modern landmarks.
The event was the 20th edition of the iGB Affiliate Awards and occurred after the iGB L!VE conference.
The impact went well beyond poker, with awards being given for achievements in the areas of casino operations, sports betting, bingo, streaming, affiliate programs, and technology relating to safer gambling.
Better Collective was awarded Best Sports Betting Affiliate, Kongebonus received the title ofÂ
Best Casino Affiliate, and WhichBingo kept its position as Best Bingo Affiliate. Brian Christopher Slots won the award for Best Streaming Affiliate, and Casino Guru was given the Safer Gambling Initiative of the Year.
The wider industry provides a context for the WorldPokerDeals figure. Although poker is only one aspect of the present iGaming affiliate industry, it is still a separate sector which calls for specialist knowledge and a deep understanding of how players behave.
From 2019 success to consecutive victories
WorldPokerDeals has had a presence at the awards for several years and won the Best Poker Affiliate award for the first time in 2019, securing at the same time the award for Best Non-English Language Affiliate.
The company reached number one in the poker category again in 2025 after a number of further nominations, and this 2026 win shows that it has now successfully defended the title. As reported in the coverage of the result, this is the company’s fourth iGB Affiliate Award in total.
It could be argued that the most recent award is more significant than a single victory since online poker has undergone substantial changes in recent years, the market constantly being reshaped by new platforms, payment technologies, regulations, and player preferences.
For affiliate businesses it is an ongoing challenge to keep the information accurate while allowing for changes.
A strong result in a changing digital industry
The scale of the affiliate sector was evident at the 2026 iGB Affiliate Awards. Nowadays, traditional editorial publishers operate alongside content creators, data platforms, marketing technology providers and highly specialized comparison services. WorldPokerDeals’ success shows that focused poker expertise continues to have a place within that changing landscape.Â
Winning Best Poker Affiliate for a second consecutive year provides the company with another significant industry credential, while its third victory in the category demonstrates a longer record of recognition.
For WorldPokerDeals the London event was therefore more than just another awards ceremony since, even as the wider iGaming industry changes, specialist knowledge, useful player resources and steady development can still distinguish themselves in a competitive international environment.
