The Covid-19 pandemic has devastated many industries, and traditional gambling was no exception. Bookmakers, casinos, and bingo halls across the planet were hit hard by the measures undertaken by the governments to limit the spread of the disease. Gatherings of people were strictly restricted, and that meant no customers or players were allowed to come in. Bookies suffered another issue, as many sports competitions were canceled or suspended, so punters had nothing to bet on. While the situation is temporary and the situation is already improving, beginning a career in traditional gambling may not be such a good idea, at least at the moment.
Online gambling, on the other hand, went through a veritable bum, like so many online entertainment options during the pandemic. With millions of people cooped up in their homes and left with the only Internet as their sole source of entertainment, iGaming has broken all records in growth and expansion. This has led to a massive surge in employment and wage rises, and this wave is still going strong. It makes iGaming an ideal career path for both young people fresh out of school and an older crowd looking for a change of scenery.
Do You Have What It Takes?
Many jobs in iGaming require extensive contact with customers. For positions like customer support or similar, that goes without saying, but even positions like software engineers usually entail contact with players. Often, they have to seek feedback from players and be able to communicate with various groups of people in order to ascertain the value of that feedback. That is why people skills are a must for the majority of careers. If you are not comfortable talking to people, perhaps you should focus on jobs that don’t involve contact with customers. In that case, you will be better off looking for a career in the technical department.
iGaming Isn’t Just Casinos
When people talk about careers in gaming, most assume that working in an online casino is the only option. That isn’t the case. There are plenty of jobs in iGaming that don’t involve online gambling platforms. For instance, you can work in one of many game-development companies that exclusively create games of iGaming. These are the companies that produce all types of casino games, from online slots to poker games. For junior coders, this is an excellent opportunity to jumpstart their careers and get some much-needed experience while working on exciting projects. Thanks to the attractive work and relatively high salary, these positions tend to get filled almost immediately, so you need to be on your toes if you want to grab one.
Foreign Languages Are A Big Plus
iGaming is an international industry, covering a large part of the globe. While you can get by with just English, speaking a foreign language can be – and often is – a big plus that can really push you up the ladder of protective candidates. Speaking any of the languages like Chinese, Arabian, Spanish, or any of the Scandinavian ones, will make you a highly desirable applicant, and finding a job in iGaming will be much easier. You don’t even have to be fluent, as moderate knowledge will get you through the door. Of course, you will be expected to master it as soon as possible, but if you are looking for a way to jumpstart your career in iGaming, speaking a foreign language is one of the better ways to do it.
Are You Ready to Relocate?
Certain parts of the world are more responsive to iGaming than others, and if you are serious about a career in the industry, you need to be prepared to relocate. Fortunately, the locations are excellent. Places like Malta, Sweden, Spain, and various cities in South Asia are highly desirable, and moving there shouldn’t be that much of an issue. The other perk is that after you have put in a few years, you will probably be able to choose where you want to work, as many companies are international and have offices in many, if not all, of these locations. Unlike some other industries that will happily ship you off out to the sticks, iGaming is concentrated in metro areas and urban centers.
Thinking Outside the Box
iGaming is a highly unorthodox industry. Among other things, that means flexible working conditions, especially during the pandemic. Some positions require on-site presence, others are 100% remote, while some are a hybrid between those two. Some of those on-site jobs will let you create your own hours and work around your schedule, depending on the position you are filling. While all this sounds great in theory, in practice it requires a great deal of self-discipline. You have to be able to create a schedule and keep to it, as others may depend on your work to finish theirs. That is why outside-the-box thinkers are a highly valuable commodity in iGaming and usually have a much easier time finding a job than people who are accustomed to more traditional working environments.
Scandinavian Work Ethics
If you are dead-set in a traditional work ethic, working 9 to 5 and always wearing a suit and a tie, your first day in a career in iGaming may come as a shock. Most companies follow Scandinavian work culture. Apart from flexible work hours, that also means that every day is casual Friday. The dress code is relaxed and t-shirts and jeans are normal work attire. As long as your wardrobe is within decency appearance, nobody cares what you are wearing. Surprisingly, many candidates, especially male ones, have trouble adjusting to this. If you are among them, perhaps a career in iGaming isn’t for you after all. If that is something that you are comfortable with, try your luck and apply.
