Nominations Open for 2027 RTG Global Awards with Expanded 12-Category Program
TL;DR — Nominations opened for the 2027 RTG Global Awards, expanding to 12 categories including new honors for harm prevention, research impact and black market disruption. The gala is set for 9 March 2027 in Sydney, with submissions due 21 December 2026. This builds on the 2026 inaugural event that drew worldwide interest.
Nominations are now open for the 2027 RTG Global Awards, which will be presented on the evening of 9 March 2027 at Sofitel Sydney Wentworth. According to Inside Asian Gaming, the program has expanded from six categories in the inaugural March 2026 edition to 12 categories to recognize principled leadership, capability and contribution across the international gambling regulatory and sector community.
The new categories are Gambling Harm Prevention Campaign, Research Impact, Sport and Wagering Integrity Initiative, Compliance Advisory, Black Market Disruption Initiative and Distinguished Contribution. They join the returning categories of Leadership Voice, Safer Gambling Champion, Compliance Excellence, RegTech Solution, Community Impact Initiative and Emerging Leader. Both self-nominations and third-party nominations are welcomed for work undertaken within the past 12 months.
Black Market Disruption Takes Center Stage
The Black Market Disruption Initiative category responds to one of the fastest growing pressures on regulated markets. Illegal and unregulated operators erode consumer protection, divert activity and revenue away from licensed markets, and place customers beyond the reach of harm minimization measures. Some jurisdictions have met this with a decision to regulate, as with New Zealand’s licensing of online casino gambling.
Paul Newson, Founder of Regulating the Game and Principal at Vanguard Overwatch, said the inaugural awards showed strong interest from regulators, operators, suppliers, researchers, clinicians and advisers worldwide. “The inaugural awards showed the appetite across our sector to recognize the people and organizations lifting standards, strengthening integrity and improving outcomes,” Newson said. “For 2027 we have widened the field to 12 categories so that recognition reaches further, across harm prevention, integrity, research and enduring contribution, as well as leadership and compliance.”
Nominations close 21 December 2026. Finalists will be announced 1 February 2027. An independent judging panel includes Khalid Ali, Kai Cantwell, Professor Paul Delfabbro and others drawn from the international regulatory, industry, integrity and research community.
Why Recognition Matters Now
The awards make effective practice visible to those confronting the same problems elsewhere. Highlighting what works can accelerate the convergence of standards that sustain public trust. The sector should nominate impactful initiatives before the December deadline to advance this collective progress.
Reporting: Nominations open for 2027 RTG Global Awards at Sydney’s Regulating the Game conference with expanded program of 12 categories (asgam.com)
Recognition drives better practice globally — nominating your team's work before December 21 raises the bar everywhere.
We've worked across 545 partners in every regulated market, and the fastest way standards improve is when proven work gets visible. These awards shine light on what actually works in harm prevention, compliance, and fighting illegal operators — the exact pressure points every regulator and operator faces today.
- Twelve categories now include Black Market Disruption, Research Impact, and Harm Prevention Campaign
- Gala set for March 9, 2027 in Sydney; nominations close December 21, 2026
- Independent judging panel spans regulators, researchers, and integrity experts globally
SCCG angle: SCCG connects operators and suppliers to the advisers, RegTech firms, and integrity partners winning these categories. If you're building a nomination or need to benchmark your harm prevention or anti-black-market strategy against award-level work, our network includes the people setting the standard.