LONDON, England -- (PRESS RELEASE) -- Although two of the most high-profile award ceremonies of the year collapsed due to the Screen Actors' Guild strike, Casino Affiliates Program celebrated an amazingly successful year for business in the online gambling market with the first ever CAP Awards 2008.
The CAP Awards, which took place on Friday 25th January, brought a spectacular close to the busiest day of CAP Euro which attracted over 1,000 attendees and 45 sponsors. After several days of partying, networking, and assembling complicated sponsor stands, over 500 affiliates and operators turned out to witness the "capping" of the first ever Casino Affiliate Program award-winners.
The event, held at Chelsea Football Club, commenced with a champagne reception where guests were greeted by gold-dusted ladies, towers of fire, magicians and a Shirley Bassey impersonator.
Yoni Sidi, Managing Director of Webroute services who sponsored the reception and affiliate of the year category commented
"The feedback we've received on the back of our support of the CAP Awards has been overwhelming. Affiliates are such an integral part of this industry's success and we are delighted to have been part of such a superb inaugural event."
The evening continued with a three-course meal on mirrored tables (bringing new meaning to the line "so clean you can eat your dinner off it"). But before things got a little too 'shaken-not-stirred', the show was brought back down to earth when Welsh rogue and comedian Rhod Gilbert took to the stage, dismantling the glamorous proceedings with… "Who cares about these CAP Awards things anyway?" Nonetheless, Rhod and Michael Caselli got on with the main event and announced the winners of the fourteen awards selected by industry peers in an official public vote.
The awards presentation ticked all the boxes for a proper Hollywood awards ceremony - tears, alcohol-fueled idiocy…even a stage stormed by an "unknown" affiliate manager, interrupting Ladbrokes' moment of glory. The night has certainly gone down as one of the biggest and best parties the iGaming industry has ever seen and based on the floods of positive feedback being posted across affiliate forums it will definitely be repeated next year. Casinoalerts.com who has attended other awards ceremonies in iGaming commented by on the CAP forum:
"I have to say of all the awards out there this just knocked the spots of them all… the comedian, the food and the magician (well what can you say he was just incredible) Thanks for a great night"
Congratulations to all the newly crowned winners who are listed below:
Best Poker Affiliate Program - PKR
Best Casino Affiliate Program - Casino Rewards
Best Bingo Affiliate Program - BingoProgram
Best Sports Betting Affiliate Program - Ladbrokes
Best Skill Gaming Affiliate Program - Rummy Royal
Best iGaming software for affiliates - Microgaming
Best Poker Affiliate - RakeTheRake
Best Casino Affiliate - CasinoMeister
Best Bingo Affiliate - Dominique
Best Sports Betting Affiliate - Betbrain
Best Payment system for affiliates - Neteller
Best Affiliate Manager - Renee (Casino Rewards)
Best Overall Affiliate Program - Referback
Best Overall Affiliate - J. Todd