iGaming News Editor Abigail Welch Nominated For Woman Leader Of The Year At AffPapa Awards LATAM 2026

Abigail Welch, Editor and Founder of iGaming News, has been nominated for Woman Leader of the Year at the AffPapa iGaming Awards LATAM 2026, recognising her leadership and contribution to the global iGaming industry.

The award, sponsored by SOFTSWISS, celebrates women making a meaningful impact across the sector through their leadership, influence and professional achievements. Welch is among nine nominees shortlisted for the category, with the winner to be determined by a public vote ahead of the awards ceremony in Cancún, Mexico, on 25 November.

The nomination follows Welch's recent success at the Balkan Web3 & iGaming Awards (BWiGA), where she was named iGaming Lady of the Year 2026 following a community vote in October. The latest recognition reflects her continued involvement in developing iGaming News as an independent international publication and supporting greater visibility for women working across the industry.

A key part of that commitment has been the development of iGaming News' dedicated Women in iGaming section, which has become an established and popular feature of the publication. Through exclusive interviews, leadership profiles, industry news and features, the section provides a platform for women working across different areas of the sector, highlighting their achievements, experiences and contributions to its continued growth.

Welch also maintains a particular interest in the rapidly evolving Latin American iGaming market, where regulatory reforms, changing legislation and emerging commercial opportunities continue to reshape the industry. Through iGaming News, she is committed to following these developments, highlighting the challenges facing businesses operating across different jurisdictions and championing the operators, suppliers and industry leaders helping to drive the region forward.

Her editorial approach places particular emphasis on recognising businesses demonstrating innovation, responsible growth and leadership as Latin American markets adapt to new regulatory frameworks. With countries across the region taking different approaches to gambling legislation and market development, Welch believes independent industry journalism has an important role in helping businesses navigate an increasingly complex landscape.

Abigail Welch Reacts To AffPapa Nomination

Commenting on her nomination, Abigail Welch, Editor and Founder of iGaming News, said:

“I'm incredibly honoured to be nominated for Woman Leader of the Year at the AffPapa iGaming Awards LATAM, particularly alongside so many talented and inspiring women who are making a real difference across our industry.

“Having recently received the iGaming Lady of the Year award, to be recognised again so soon is genuinely special. I'm immensely proud of everything we're building at iGaming News, and it's wonderful to see that work being acknowledged by the wider industry.

“Latin America is a region I'm particularly passionate about. It's such a fascinating and dynamic part of the global iGaming industry, with enormous potential but also considerable complexity as individual markets develop and legislation continues to change.

“I love following those developments and, importantly, shining a spotlight on the fantastic brands, entrepreneurs and industry leaders who are helping to move the sector forward. There are some incredibly innovative businesses operating across LATAM, and I believe it's important that their achievements are recognised as the industry continues to evolve.

“Championing women in iGaming is equally close to my heart, and it's one of the reasons our dedicated Women in iGaming section means so much to me. It's become an incredibly popular part of our publication, allowing us to share the stories, experiences and achievements of some truly remarkable women.

“Ultimately, that's what I love most about what we do at iGaming News. Whether it's covering regulatory developments, celebrating innovative businesses or giving talented individuals a platform, we're passionate about recognising the people and organisations making a positive contribution to this industry.

“A huge thank you to AffPapa for the nomination, and to everyone who continues to support both me and iGaming News. It really does mean a great deal.”

AffPapa iGaming Awards LATAM 2026

The AffPapa iGaming Awards LATAM 2026 will take place on Wednesday 25 November in Cancún, Mexico, concluding the three-day AffPapa Conference Cancun, which runs from 23–25 November.

Now in its second Latin American edition, the awards recognise achievements across the region's expanding iGaming sector, including operators, affiliates, B2B providers and individual industry professionals. The ceremony forms part of AffPapa's wider awards programme, which launched in 2022 and has since expanded to recognise industry achievements across international markets.

Unlike awards decided by a judging panel, the AffPapa iGaming Awards LATAM are determined through community voting. Voting opened on 29 October and will close on 20 November 2026, with the nominees receiving the highest number of votes in each category announced as winners during the ceremony on 25 November.

The Woman Leader of the Year category, sponsored by SOFTSWISS, features nine nominees, including Welch, Diana Larina, Milda Mikelioniene, Alexandra Voronetskaya, Clemence Dujardin, Irina Veselkova, Kateryna Pozdnysheva, Mariia Baranova and Sara Hägge.

As an official media partner of AffPapa, iGaming News continues to support the organisation's efforts to connect industry professionals, recognise achievement and promote developments across the international iGaming community.

Voting is currently open through the official AffPapa iGaming Awards LATAM website, with the winners to be revealed in Cancún on 25 November.