Casinomeister, the respected casino watchdog site, has announced its annual awards for Best and Worst in Online Gambling for 2006. It was an eventful year in the world of online gambling. The passage of the "Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act" and the arrests that followed it reverberated throughout the industry affecting both players and many businesses.

The most prestigious award of the Best Casino of 2006 went for the 4th time in a row to 32red. According to Casinomeister, 32red stands above the competition in the areas of customer services, player relations and commitment to fair play. "It is the people behind the casino" says Casinomeister, who make the difference and make 32red a "well oiled machine".

"CEO Ed Ware understands not only the day-to-day workings of an online casino, he understands the necessity of player trust. Player trust is indispensable to this industry. Player trust cannot rely solely on a software platform, a licensing jurisdiction, or a stamp of approval - it relies on the activities of the people behind the scenes." – writes Bryan Bailey, the man behind the Casinomeister, in the award justification.

In other categories The Trident Entertainment Group was named The Best Casino Group and Microgaming took the accolade for the Best Software Award. Club World Casinos was named the Best New Casino of 2006 and Partner Logic took honours for the Best Affiliate Program.

The awards, which also named the worst in the online gambling world, are very interesting to read not only for the industry players but the playing public, too. There is obviously a question whether the awards reflect the experience of the majority of the players. Therefore it will be interesting to compare the Casinomeister awards with the eCOGRA online gambling report due in the end of January.