Winners of American Gambling Awards released

(PRESS RELEASE) -- The 14 winners were recognized for their leadership in the regulated, online U.S. gambling industry at a party hosted by ESPN+ host and fantasy sports analyst Matthew Berry on 18 June 2019 at Monmouth Park Racetrack in New Jersey.

Each winner received a custom-designed Golden Eagle trophy - an American-made, 11-inch, gold-plated, cast-pewter statuette of an American Bald Eagle. The inaugural awards featured more than 70 finalists, with a panel of more than 25 expert judges evaluating the nominations. To ensure the highest possible integrity, votes were tallied by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

The 2019 American Gambling Awards winners are:

• American Operator of the Year: Rush Street Interactive
• Sports Betting Operator of the Year: FanDuel
• Casino Operator of the Year: Rush Street Interactive
• Poker Operator of the Year: WSOP
• Fantasy Sports Operator of the Year: DraftKings
• Horse Racing Operator of the Year: TVG
• Payments Provider of the Year: Paysafe Group
• Service Provider of the Year: Evolution Gaming
• Corporate Transaction of the Year: Paddy Power Betfair's acquisition of FanDuel
• Responsible Gambling Award: National Council on Problem Gambling
• Industry Supporter of the Year: Raymond Lesniak, former New Jersey State Senator
• Lawyer of the Year: Ted Olson
• Policymaker of the Year: J. Gary Pretlow, New York Assemblyman
• Regulator of the Year: David Rebuck, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement

"The American Gambling Awards is our gift to the growing industry in America," remarked Charles Gillespie, Chief Executive of Gambling.com Group Plc. "We are gamblers and we are American and we are for the development of a responsibly regulated, competitive, modern online gambling market that serves the interests of the American consumer. It is our hope that the American Gambling Awards will bring positive attention to the leaders making this a reality."

The American Gambling Awards party and trophy presentation was part of a week-long series of conferences, seminars and social events in and around Monmouth Park in conjunction with the one-year anniversary of New Jersey's first legal sports bet. Attendees came from New Jersey, New York, Washington D.C., California, Tennessee, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Florida, West Virginia and North Carolina.

The American Gambling Awards were launched in March 2019 as the first awards program to recognize excellence among operators, suppliers, advocates, policymakers, lawyers and regulators supporting the regulated online gambling market in the United States.