23 June 2015: Online gaming companies are evolving into multi-disciplinary technology, marketing and product companies where the demands are for capable and qualified staff both from within and outside the sector, according to the new salary survey released by industry recruitment specialists BettingJobs.
Today’s online gaming businesses are evolving in line with the technology that powers them and this is particularly evident when it comes to the rise of mobile gaming, according to the trends captured by the survey.
Designers, developers and IT project managers are in demand at all levels of the industry, as are experienced marketing professionals and product managers. In many of these areas, the desire to seek hires from outside the industry is also evident.
“The general trends from our salary survey should be viewed as being very positive for the industry,” said Fiona Hickey, director at BettingJobs. “They show an industry which continues to evolve and be shaped by the technology which drives its appeal. The channel shift towards mobile has been dramatic and is sure to continue.”
“The transition to mobile has seen many of the major operators that we work with seek to broaden their search in terms of where they hope to find the talent to bring into their businesses. Many more of our clients are now seeking to bring in candidates with experience from outside the industry.”
Increasing automation and analytics
Business analysts are more in demand than ever. The salary survey data shows head of analytics roles now command an average salary of £73,000 globally while business analysts are now worth on average £46,000. The survey found that Malta has been a key beneficiary of the rise of analytics, alongside Gibraltar and the UK.
“The rise of analytics departments has been nothing less than staggering,” says Hickey. “They are now one of the most important divisions within any online gaming organisation.”
Automation is also changing the face of the sports trading desks where quantitative analysts are now much in demand with average salaries for these jobs coming in at close to £57,000. In comparison, lower than senior level positions on sports trading desks are less in demand.
The evidence from multiple thousands of salaries would suggest the rise of in-play betting, ever more outsourcing for key elements of a sports-betting offering, and the dependency of sports trading on technology to provide the speed of transaction needed in today’s online marketplace have combine to irreversibly change the nature of online sports-betting.
“This swing towards automated trading is most evident in the UK and the other major sports-betting hubs of Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta,” says Hickey. “This is where algorithmic trading on sports-betting is now absolutely central.”
Another major trend BettingJobs has witnessed is the rise of online gaming in Asia. “It will come as no surprise to anyone working within the online sports-betting and gaming industry that we are seeing increasing interest from candidates to look to positions in Asia – and particularly Manila – as that industry continues to boom,” says Hickey.
Average salaries for selected jobs across all eight jurisdictions:
The BettingJobs salary survey looks at data from eight jurisdictions around the world (UK, Ireland, Mainland Europe, Eastern Europe, Malta, Gibraltar, Isle of Man and Asia) and looked at 10 job categories (executive, technical, commercial, marketing, trading, finance, analytics, operations, product, and legal).
The survey can be accessed online at salarysurvey.bettingjobs.com/login and will be available to the general industry for a limited period.
It is the most comprehensive data set ever collated on salaries within online gaming. The objective for the salary survey is to provide a reference point for the industry that will benefit large and small organisation alike which will be able to use the data to position themselves strategically when recruiting.
The salary survey includes a living report on each region, providing a useful outline of some of the key considerations when relocating including taxes, cost of living and quality of life factors.
Each region also contains the key trends evident from the survey. Other than those mentioned above, some other ley trends include:
- An increase in recruitment of non-industry professionals into high-level marketing roles
- No evident sign of the introduction of the Point of Consumption tax in the UK having an effect on salaries within the sector, though there are signs that more M&A is on the cards
- Elite candidates in niche roles can still command a high salary, regardless of the trajectory of their sector
Loyalty a bonus
A key theme that the recruitment specialists within BettingJobs have noted in recent years has been a growing degree of loyalty on the part of employees to the established operators in the field.
“In recent years, we have observed markedly less job-hopping among candidates,” says Hickey. “Loyalty, a desire for stability in an uncertain economy, and the desire to work for reputable brands with the availability of career progression and increased responsibilities, has resulted in fewer candidates making sideways steps for more money.”
“We think the trend towards greater loyalty shows how the online gaming industry has matured,” adds Hickey. “Many of the top operators that we work with have now been leading the field for over a decade; the online business has to an extent grown up and the career paths within the industry are clearer than they were six years ago.
“That said, as the survey makes clear, the industry as a whole is still very much evolving, led by the shift to mobile. This is sure to mean that decent candidates for a wide range of executive, product development and project management positions will continue to be the order of the day.”
About BettingJobs
The BettingJobs.com Salary Survey is indicative of the care and attention that BettingJobs.com provides to its partners and candidates, and illustrates an unrivalled insight into the Online Gaming industry. It is the culmination of months of data collection and research into thousands of salaries across eight geographical regions and ten specific skill verticals. The data is correct as of June 2015.The Salary Survey data will be made available to the industry at large in June where BettingJobs hopes it will be used as a resource for companies and prospective candidates alike.
http://salarysurvey.bettingjobs.com/login/
BettingJobs will be exhibiting at the iGaming Supershow in Amsterdam between 23-26 June. Visit our stand D36.
For more information contact:
Fiona Hickey
Betting Jobs
Director
Office: +44 (0)1355 588 988
Mobile: +44 (0)7739 903 612
Table 1: Selected other job titles averages
