Record 507 Submissions for 2026 IAG Academy IR Awards Include New Online Gaming Categories
TL;DR — Inside Asian Gaming logged a record 507 public submissions for the 2026 IAG Academy IR Awards, nearly double the 276 from 2025. The program expands to 26 categories including a new Online Gaming Offerings division. Nominees arrive August 17 and winners are named at the September 15 gala in Manila.
SCCG Take — The doubled submissions and dedicated online categories confirm rising recognition of iGaming’s role alongside land-based operations in Asia, a development operators should track for supplier and investor visibility.
Inside Asian Gaming has received an all-time record 507 public submissions for the 2026 IAG Academy IR Awards. The total is almost double the 276 submissions received in 2025. Official nominees will be announced on Monday 17 August.
The program will feature 26 award categories, three more than last year. Five categories sit under a new “Online Gaming Offerings” division presented by Complete iGaming, the iGaming media brand under IAG’s parent company. This addition reflects the growing importance of iGaming and its interaction with the land-based gaming sector in the Philippines and beyond, according to reporting by Inside Asian Gaming.
Record Engagement and Award Prestige
The jump in submissions highlights the growing popularity of the annual event and the prestige attached to winning one of its trophies. Sponsors already confirmed for the 2026 awards include Newport World Resorts as venue sponsor and Light & Wonder as entertainment sponsor. Gold sponsors are Angel, Aristocrat Gaming, Hann Resorts, IGT and Solaire Resort Entertainment City. Further sponsorships remain available.
Timeline for Nominees and Winners
Winners will be revealed at a gala dinner on Tuesday 15 September in the Manila Ballroom at Newport World Resorts. The dinner forms part of the larger IAG EXPO festival of events. The submission numbers and category expansion stay strictly within the details released by the organizer.
Reporting: Inside Asian Gaming
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
Doubled submissions and five new online categories confirm iGaming has moved from peripheral to core in Asian gaming.
We've been saying it for two years: Asia's regulated gaming story is no longer just land-based. When submissions double and organizers carve out five online categories, suppliers and investors get a clear signal where visibility and partnership opportunities are heading. SCCG tracks these inflection points because they shape our clients' go-to-market strategies across the region.
- 507 submissions vs. 276 last year—nearly double, reflecting surging industry engagement
- Five new online gaming categories under Complete iGaming division mark iGaming's arrival
- Winners announced Sept. 15 at Newport World Resorts during IAG EXPO Manila
SCCG angle: SCCG connects suppliers to the exact operators, sponsors, and investors attending IAG EXPO and competing in these categories. We've built relationships across Asia-Pacific for three decades—when clients need introductions to integrated resort operators or online licensees in the Philippines and beyond, we broker those conversations before, during, and after events like this.