Since its emergence from relative obscurity around five years ago the iGaming sector has undergone a transformation in the way it is perceived by consumers. Enormous progress has been made in ditching the ‘chalk and blackboard bookie’ and ‘smoky gambling hall’ imagery that was often associated with the bookmaking and casino sectors in the past and its leading companies are now considered as major heavyweight brands within the leisure and gaming industry.

As the sector has moved into the mainstream there has also been a shift in the composition of the workforce within a typical iGaming operator. Whereas iGaming recruitment used to be relatively insular, with the majority of employees moving within the sector and low rates of new entrants and leavers, now the workforce of a typical operator is far more cosmopolitan encompassing people from a greater variety of backgrounds and experience than ever before. The factors behind this shift can be split firmly across two lines and this article will examine each in turn.

casting the net

The first and most obvious contributing factor concerns a change of approach within iGaming operators themselves, particularly on the part of hiring managers. When iGaming was still in its infancy, those employees progressing through to positions of greater influence primarily came from within the sector itself. A candidate’s specific iGaming experience was valued above all other attributes and the sector was growing at such a rate that those within it were able to progress rapidly through the various echelons of iGaming company structures.

This was a candidate-driven market as employees looked to hire people with the experience required to hit the ground running and those possessing specific niche skills that were considered rare were almost able to name their price. Such was the demand for industry experience that a prospective employee would often secure a position based on that alone regardless of their wider experience, education and personality.

Clearly this was a situation that could not go on forever and slowly iGaming operators looked to change their approach. Often the initial factors behind this could be put down to budgetary and financial concerns. Firms experiencing high wage levels and staff turnover rates began to consider ways of lowering them and started securing the services of employees from outside the sector and training them.

As numbers of those arriving from outside the sector grew, employers began to appreciate the greater breadth of experience they were able to draw upon and the new ideas and approaches being put forward. Nets were cast further and further afield in the search for talent from other sectors and those with industry experience as their main or only attribute were slowly pushed out.

The speed of this transition increased as more individuals with outside experience gained hiring positions and could personally appreciate the value attached to it. In fact, it has now reached the stage where some companies, when recruiting for specific positions, will place sector experience at the bottom of the list of attributes they are looking for as they look to bring in new ideas and approaches.

That being said, there are always exceptions to the rule and in some job functions there is definitely still no substitution for industry experience and knowledge. Those experienced within business development and affiliate management, for example, are still able to secure a premium for their experience and the contact base they possess. This is unlikely to ever change.

moving with the times

Most hiring managers now place iGaming experience among a variety of other attributes needed by their prospective employees, including a good range of transferable core skills, a strong education and a good personality fit with company ethos.

The second most important factor contributing to the change in the composition of the iGaming workforce concerns the growing awareness the candidate market has of the sector and the changes in their attitudes towards it.

As stated above, until relatively recently iGaming was a little known industry with low level of visibility. Apart from those individuals who possessed an interest in the sector as a pastime, whether it be through sports betting, poker or another activity, there were few outside the sector that understood and appreciated what those companies within iGaming did and how they went about it. Those among this group who had visited ‘bricks and mortar’ establishments in the past were likely to form their perception from their experiences while those that had no experience of gaming and gambling were often put off by an industry they perceived to be shady and underhand.

While this notion could not be further from the truth, it is only recently with the emergence of iGaming to the forefront of mainstream media that these perceptions have been overturned. While some will always avoid iGaming on religious or moral grounds, candidates on the whole are increasingly seeing iGaming as a viable career choice regardless of their own personal preferences or hobbies.

So what does the future hold for recruitment in iGaming and what, if any, premium will be placed on industry experience in the future?

targeting talent

As operators grow, increasing numbers are looking to target candidates directly in a belief that they will be able to cut costs and gain access to a wider candidate pool. Some are specifically targeting certain industries such as financial services, as they are looking for prospective employees who are familiar with tightly regulated industries or who are experienced with high-volume business-critical online-transactional environments. For others, it is more a question of bringing in talent from across the commercial sector and then giving them the experience needed to succeed in iGaming.

From the candidate perspective, the trend of increasing numbers of candidates looking to move into the sector is likely to continue, particularly on account of its apparent ability to withstand the more severe ravages of the current economic climate. With many iGaming companies bucking the trend of the recession and still experiencing growth, candidates are beginning to view the sector as a safer option with better prospects.

Overall, this is a trend that is likely be maintained, impacting on the nature of the sector’s workforce and broadening the breadth of experience within it. However, most managers responsible for hiring will continue to appreciate the value of relevant sector experience particularly when it comes to their middle and executive management staff.