On Top of the World

May 25, 2026

David Natroshvili has been ranked number one in the TOP 100 Most Influential People in iGaming 2026 — the industry's most closely watched annual list of the figures shaping the global market.
The ranking is published by iGaming Express, an international trade media outlet covering the online betting and gaming sector across sports betting, online casino, lottery, suppliers, M&A, affiliates, legal and regulatory affairs. Its annual TOP 100 has become one of the reference points for the industry, tracking the founders, executives, investors, regulators and industry voices whose decisions carry weight across global markets. The outlet publishes in English and Serbian, and operates alongside its sister titles African Gambit and iGaming Polska.

The 2026 edition — released over five days in late May and supported by official partner ELA Games — was compiled through editorial research, industry discussions and analysis of measurable market impact, weighing influence, strategic decisions, innovation and visibility within the sector. As the publication puts it, its ranking rests on the belief that the way success is achieved matters as much as the result itself.
On that basis, Natroshvili was placed first — ahead of a field that includes the chief executives of Flutter Entertainment, Playtech, DraftKings, Evolution and bet365, alongside regulators, investors and the founders of the fastest-growing platforms in prediction markets.

The publication credits him with introducing a market-redefining concept of "smart games" and building an entirely new flagship category around crash-style entertainment, with Aviator becoming a global phenomenon and the most popular game in its genre worldwide. It highlights not only the scale of SPRIBE's growth but the manner in which it was achieved, describing him as an inspiration for entrepreneurs across the sector whose transparency, clear communication and ability to turn a simple idea into a global product category have set a new benchmark for modern iGaming founders.iGaming Express closes its number-one entry with a line that speaks for itself: the industry needs more founders like Natroshvili — transparent, product-driven, ambitious, and capable of building categories rather than only competing within existing ones.

Read the full ranking: iGaming Express — TOP 100 Most Influential People in iGaming 2026