BETTER CHANGE STATESIDE
does still seem to be a bit of a stigma attached to working in gambling due to negative perceptions of the industry. Some people might view it as morally questionable or fi nancially exploitative, and we try to address that by focusing on the roles available within compliance and safer gambling specifi cally. Once prospective candidates see and hear how hard the industry works to keep its players safe, any negative perceptions fade away. The gambling industry can be volatile, with potential fl uctuations
in revenue and job stability. We’ve all heard stories of people being asked to reapply for their jobs following the countless mergers and acquisitions we see happening but then there are also plenty of stories of those contemplating retirement who started out as teenage Saturday kids in the high street shops. One social housing provider that we now work very closely with
were initially sceptical about us promoting compliance careers to their service users, not because of any moral concerns but because they thought the skills required to work in gaming weren’t transferable enough. It didn’t take us long to demonstrate that as one of the most heavily regulated industries in the world, candidates with an AML background in gaming for instance could very easily go into banking, insurance and even real estate to name just a few. Naturally, in such a competitive and saturated market as gaming, the
only way for an operator to be successful is to offer a fi rst-class customer experience and the compliance department plays a huge role in creating and delivering just that. The customer fi rst attitude that the gaming industry instils will be hugely valuable and applicable to almost any other career path or industry a candidate might wish to pursue. It is true that there are still some stereotypes in the industry which could understandably make choosing a career in gaming questionable. For instance, it is still an industry that is male dominated. That is changing slowly but surely and we are seeing far more women at every level of gaming organisations that we ever have before but there’s still a way to go. Being a female leader in a traditionally male industry does have its challenges but it also has its perks! I have defi nitely found it harder to scale our business and have been overlooked for promotion more times than some of my male counterparts. It’s also true that there is still a bit of the ‘jobs for the boys’ mentality and so anyone new will really have to prove their worth to get noticed. For anyone driven and motivated, that should offer additional motivation to succeed and within most respectable
organisations, their meritocratic cultures will see talent thrive regardless of gender or any other discriminating factor. One careers advisor I spoke to said the reason he didn’t think it
was appropriate to suggest gaming as a potential career choice was due to cultural differences. In today’s multicultural society, it’s not always possible to tell what religious beliefs people might hold and a parent could understandably become upset if their child was advised to follow a career in something that is forbidden by their religion. For that reason, he preferred to stick to careers which were much less objectionable such as medicine, fi nance and childcare. Another advisor that I spoke to raised the point that until recently,
there was very little in terms of formal education targeting the gaming industry. Today it’s possible to study for a degree in game design or casino management but it’s still very much lacking. In fact, Better Change are currently in the process of working with the Institute For Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE) to create a Level 4 Regulatory Compliance Offi cer Standard which is focused on the gaming industry and can be funded from the Apprenticeship Levy. Once we have additional funding, we’ll be extending this to include a Level 5 and Level 7 qualifi cation so employees can be formally trained up to Masters level and have their expertise formally acknowledged. What is clear is that it’s a changing landscape and the industry is
rapidly evolving. We have new technologies, platforms, and business models emerging regularly and that’s before we look at the emerging markets which are opening up constantly. One of our clients started his career in customer service for a gaming company in the UK before being relocated to Gibraltar where he spent 6 years. Last year he then made another international move for a senior position with a Las Vegas based operator. He said as a young boy from Stoke, he could never have dreamt of the opportunities to travel that he’s been given or that he would one day be titled as a Director. This for me sums up the reason why I’m proud of our industry. Is
it perfect? No, of course not as no industry is. Is it for the faint of heart? Absolutely not. Does it offer more opportunities than any other industry? I truly believe it does. We’ll see you in Barcelona, Las Vegas, London or at one of the
other opportunities we have to travel, network with the best and maybe even have a little fun too. It’s a tough life this gaming lark!
SEPTEMBER 2023 37
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