Casino Gran Madrid's Country Manager explains the evolution of the G|M Awards, highlighting user participation and venue expansion to Casino Torrequebrada.
Apr 27, 2026 · 7 min read
Casino Gran Madrid has successfully concluded the second edition of its Gran Madrid Awards, with Country Manager José Félix Herreros Fernández highlighting the programme's growth and its unique player-centric approach to industry recognition.
The awards ceremony, held at Casino Torrequebrada rather than the previous venue of Casino Torrelodones, represents a strategic shift for the operator as it seeks to integrate its physical and digital offerings while maintaining the core principle that winners are selected through user competitions and votes within the platform.
Speaking exclusively about the awards' development since their 2024 launch, Herreros outlined the programme's maturation from innovative concept to strategic brand initiative.
"Si en 2025 los G|M Awards nacieron como una iniciativa innovadora para dar voz al ecosistema del sector del Juego Online en España, en 2026 se consolidan como un proyecto estratégico de marca, con mayor ambición y recorrido."
— José Félix Herreros Fernández, Country Manager of Casino Gran Madrid
The awards maintain their foundational principle of being determined by genuine player experience rather than industry panel decisions. This approach positions the G|M Awards as what Herreros describes as authentic recognition born from gaming itself, decided through real competitions and voting mechanisms within the platform.
Awards Timeline
The Gran Madrid Awards launched in 2024 as an inaugural innovative initiative, evolved into a consolidated strategic brand project by 2026, representing a rapid two-year development cycle that demonstrates Casino Gran Madrid's commitment to long-term industry engagement beyond typical promotional campaigns.
The Country Manager emphasised the awards' role as a barometer of genuine industry impact, measuring how studios, games, and content creators actually resonate with end users rather than theoretical assessments of innovation.
"Los G|M Awards juegan un papel fundamental como voz del jugador dentro de la industria. Al ser premios otorgados mediante el Juego y la participación de nuestros usuarios, se convierten en un termómetro real del impacto que tienen los estudios, los juegos y los creadores de contenido en la experiencia final del usuario."
— José Félix Herreros Fernández, Country Manager of Casino Gran Madrid
This methodology allows Casino Gran Madrid to identify authentic market trends and highlight proposals that genuinely differentiate themselves in the marketplace, fostering innovation oriented toward product quality and user engagement rather than industry perception.
Operator Strategy Insight
Traditional gaming awards often rely on industry panels or expert committees, creating potential disconnect from actual player preferences. Casino Gran Madrid's approach provides operators with direct market intelligence about which content genuinely drives user engagement, offering more reliable data for partnership and content acquisition decisions.
The 2026 awards structure encompasses the entire gaming ecosystem while maintaining player centrality. Categories recognise studios, games, live propositions, providers, and streamers, all evaluated through the common lens of user experience impact.
The voting mechanisms, integrated into gaming dynamics, enable the community to determine which studio, game, or creator has made a meaningful difference during the year. This approach ensures that recognition reflects genuine user preference rather than industry insider opinion.
2,024
Awards Programme Launch Year
2,026
Second Edition Year
5+
Award Categories (Studios, Games, Live, Providers, Streamers)
The decision to move the gala from Casino Torrelodones to Casino de Torrequebrada demonstrates Casino Gran Madrid's broader strategic objectives beyond simple event logistics. The venue change capitalises on the recent reform of Casino de Torrequebrada, one of the group's most emblematic spaces.
"Este movimiento nos ha permitido poner en valor nuestros casinos físicos como parte esencial de la experiencia Gran Madrid y refuerza nuestra visión como grupo, una marca capaz de conectar lo online y lo presencial."
— José Félix Herreros Fernández, Country Manager of Casino Gran Madrid
The venue transition serves multiple purposes: showcasing the group's physical asset investments, demonstrating the integration of online and land-based operations, and positioning corporate events as opportunities to highlight ongoing facility improvements and premium experience delivery.
Physical Asset Utilization
The move from Casino Torrelodones to Casino de Torrequebrada showcases how operators can maximize ROI on recent property investments. This venue selection strategy transforms corporate events into marketing opportunities for physical locations, potentially increasing foot traffic and brand awareness for land-based operations.
The inaugural edition's reception validated the concept's market positioning, with industry stakeholders recognising the departure from traditional award formats. Studios, partners, and content creators particularly appreciated the authentic user-driven selection process.
This positive response influenced the second edition's development, leading to enhanced format strengthening, expanded participation opportunities, and elevated gala production values while preserving the core principle of recognising what players genuinely enjoy and select.
Market Validation Indicators
The positive stakeholder response to the inaugural edition validates user-driven recognition models as viable alternatives to traditional award formats. This reception suggests growing industry appetite for authentic player feedback mechanisms, potentially influencing how other operators structure their own recognition programmes.
Herreros positioned the awards programme within Casino Gran Madrid's broader strategic identity, describing industry talent recognition initiatives as both strategic and identity-defining activities.
"Queremos una Industria más conectada con el usuario final, y estos premios son parte de ello."
— José Félix Herreros Fernández, Country Manager of Casino Gran Madrid
The operator views the G|M Awards as an active investment in talent, innovation, and enhanced industry-user connectivity, particularly significant given the awards' determination through actual gaming and real user votes within the platform.
Warning
While user-driven awards offer authenticity benefits, operators must ensure voting mechanisms maintain integrity and prevent manipulation. Robust verification systems and transparent methodology disclosure become critical for maintaining credibility and regulatory compliance in competitive gaming markets.
The Gran Madrid Awards evolution signals a broader trend toward user-centric industry recognition models that prioritise authentic engagement over traditional peer assessment. For operators seeking differentiation in competitive markets, Casino Gran Madrid's approach demonstrates how awards programmes can serve multiple strategic functions: brand positioning, community engagement, and physical-digital integration.
The venue transition strategy also illustrates how operators can leverage events to showcase asset improvements and reinforce omnichannel positioning. This approach may influence other operators considering similar industry initiatives that combine industry recognition with property marketing and brand reinforcement objectives.
This sentence is incomplete and should be completed or removed rather than industry panel decisions could establish new standards for credible gaming industry recognition, particularly as operators seek more authentic ways to demonstrate market relevance and community connection.
According to AzarPlus.
Written by
Viktoriia KononovaContent Partnership Manager
Viktoriia has been with We–Right™ Factory since 2022, managing content partnerships across regulated iGaming markets. With a copywriting background, she understands both the creative and compliance sides of iGaming content production. On the blog, Viktoriia writes about responsible gambling content, regulatory alignment, and practical challenges of producing content for multiple jurisdictions.
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