Why iGaming employers now hold the cards - Part I
The iGaming talent market is undergoing one of its most significant shifts in years, with employers tightening budgets, raising expectations, and holding the upper hand in negotiations. Cordelia Morgan – Cooper, founder of CMC Consulting, says this recalibration has transformed how candidates approach career moves.
“What we’re seeing in iGaming as a whole is a real shift in the market,” Cordelia told SiGMA News. “The market is becoming much more competitive. There are many more highly qualified and highly skilled candidates on the market now. And I think that businesses and employers, they’re aware of this. So, they are able to counter offer lower salaries than they would have done before.”
This shift, she explained, is pushing candidates to justify salary expectations far more rigorously than in previous years. “Whether it’s €40,000 or €400,000, the salaries of four to five years ago are no longer a benchmark,” Cordelia explained. According to the iGB-Pentasia Salary Survey 2024, average salary growth across the iGaming industry has stabilised at around 3.3 percent, compared to double-digit increases in 2022. While high-value roles in tech and data still command strong compensation, most employers are offering more cautious packages.
M&A reshaping career pathways
The surge of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) across the iGaming sector has also reshaped opportunities for finance professionals. With a lot of mergers and acquisitions happening, larger companies are absorbing smaller operators, creating demand for transaction-savvy leaders, but also narrowing the diversity of career routes.
“What makes iGaming such an interesting industry is that there are constantly new businesses arriving,” Cordelia said. “If we look at the big players of four–five years ago, that has really changed and now the market is dominated by a number of key employers. But I always encourage people starting their career to look at smaller businesses, where they can learn many different skills and get broader exposure.”
A wave of consolidation swept across companies as they position for global growth. These include M&As by industry leaders like Flutter Entertainment completing its €2.3 billion takeover of Italy’s Snaitech, Playtech finalising its strategic retreat from B2C, selling HAPPYBET Group, Apollo Global Management closing its €5.4billion ($6.3 billion) deal, combining IGT casino digital arm with Everi Holdings Inc, among others.
Salaries, competition and shifting expectations
Cordelia shared striking data from her own firm’s work: 25 job offers declined this year alone, all down to salary disagreements. In another unprecedented twist, she noted cases where employers extended offers, had them accepted, and then withdrew.
“I’ve been in recruitment 12 years — that has never ever happened before,” she said. “We also see final stage interviews with four or five candidates. Previously you might have two or three, with one being a wild card. Now you’re seeing six candidates at final stage and sometimes clients even go back to the drawing board twice.”
“A very qualified candidate could once say, ‘I want this, this and this.’ Now it’s: ‘This is what we have for the role — if that’s not enough, goodbye.’”
– CMC Consulting Founder Cordelia Morgan – Cooper
The competitive climate isn’t limited to gaming. Cordelia confirmed the same pattern in retail, hospitality, and finance. “Businesses are expecting much more from employees than they did four or five years ago,” she added.
The new iGaming leader: empathy and resilience
Beyond hard skills, Cordelia stressed the growing importance of leadership qualities shaped by hybrid and flexible work.
“The modern leader should be empathetic, resilient, hardworking, dynamic and able to handle objections,” she said. “Technical expertise you can teach, but soft skills you either have, or you don’t. And with more hybrid or flexible models, leadership today demands very different skills than before the pandemic.”
Industry surveys confirm this shift. According to ZipDo, a data-driven educational insights provider, more companies are investing in soft-skills training and leadership development than ever before. Flexible leadership styles are now linked to higher retention.
Gen Z reshaping the EVP
As Gen Z talent enters iGaming, companies are adjusting their employee value propositions (EVP) to reflect expectations around purpose, values, and work-life balance. A 2024 Gartner study found that Gen Z candidates rank purpose and flexibility above salary when assessing offers.
“With generations coming in, they really want to feel bonded to the businesses they work with,” Cordelia explained. “I’ve seen a lot of companies increasing their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. One client set up an initiative called This Year’s Rule, where you can dedicate 20 percent of your working hours to a charitable cause. These things hold much more value long term than perks like Friday beers in the office.”
Outlook: cautious optimism amid flux
While the market remains fiercely competitive, Cordelia urges job seekers not to lose hope, but to be realistic. “It’s not that you’re not great at what you do, it’s just that maybe someone else is eager to take a lower salary,” she said.
“Unless you’re really unhappy where you are, it’s better to stick it out now than to jump into a volatile market. Things are unsteady. Businesses that were there 12–18 months ago aren’t there now.”
– CMC Consulting Founder Cordelia Morgan – Cooper
Her advice to candidates? Upskill continuously, be flexible, and value job security where possible. For employers, the challenge will be to balance efficiency and cost pressures with purpose-driven culture and flexible benefits. In an industry where M&A continues to reshape the competitive landscape, the iGaming talent wars are far from over.
Coming soon, Part II where Cordelia Morgan – Cooper discusses Malta’s iGaming sector’s talent crunch, rising costs, and the global race for skilled professionals.
