The iGaming market represents a rapidly expanding segment of the digital entertainment industry. Offering advanced technology, convenience, and entertainment, iGaming encompasses a wide array of gaming activities, including sports betting, online casinos, poker, eSports, and more.
As global connectivity and internet accessibility continuously increases, iGaming has emerged as a dominant force, attracting a diverse player base and offering significant business opportunities for companies looking to innovate in the sector.
Looking to further understand the iGaming market in today’s digital landscape, we counted on the participation of Sergio Basurto, Global Business Developer Manager at Pacifica Continental, to share his experience within the industry.
This article highlights Basurto’s valuable insights about the future of the iGaming market, the main opportunities and challenges that it currently presents, and key advice for iGaming companies to attract and retain qualified professionals.
How did you start your career in the iGaming market, and what were the main challenges faced?
I entered the iGaming market in 2019 where an industry boom seemed imminent and more retail gambling stores were opening in Lima, Peru, where I lived. I spoke with some C-levels to gather insights about this rising market and learn more about their projects, and found out that most companies were mainly focused on online gaming.
The main challenges came when covid started, where this market faced a limited talent pool. Most professionals lacked experience across online channels and didn’t have strong adaptability skills required to face the challenge. This happened for the entire LATAM market, including Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay.
What are some significant experiences or projects you’ve led in the iGaming industry?
There have been many, but the most exciting projects are always hiring Country Managers for companies with operations in multiple countries in the region. When we hire for this position, we have the responsibility of identifying the person that is going to determine the direction of the company within that country. It’s important to understand the company’s culture, mindset, ambition, and upcoming projects to determine which professionals from our wide network would be the right fit.
What are the main opportunities and challenges that the iGaming market currently presents?
Currently, there are many opportunities in the iGaming market. One example, is that in most countries, regulations are advancing, which helps governments, companies, and professionals succeed in the industry. On the other hand, a challenge in the iGaming market is ensuring a company’s ownership and reliability, since professionals nowadays are looking for long-term projects where they can fully commit to the company and build a solid professional career.
How do you see the future of the iGaming market in the upcoming years?
The LATAM customer usually lacks loyalty and tends to explore multiple operators, which could present as a threat for companies and force them to build their customer experience and relationship management. On the other hand, this also presents a huge opportunity for another important player in the industry: suppliers. Platforms, Software, Games, Statistics, and many other suppliers have been successfully offering their added values and, alongside operators, are constantly innovating and building new trends.
What advice would you give to professionals who want to enter the iGaming market?
I would suggest reading and researching about concepts, specs from the operator world vs the supplier world, attend networking events and conferences, and, of course, having conversations with professionals that have a track record in the industry.
What are the most sought-after skills and competencies by iGaming companies?
I would say the main skills are ambition, data-driven decision-making, and team work. In the LATAM market, most operators have aggressive expansion plans for the region, which requires talented professionals who are always searching for improvement opportunities to guide the company to a next level. Also, the ability to measure OKRs/KPIs to track performance is essential regardless the area you belong to. A particular thing in iGaming is that hiring always comes with growth. Being a top operator is the result of hiring correctly. Not only based on how they work individually, but also on their ability to work collectively with others in teams.
How can iGaming companies hire and retain qualified professionals?
Usually, iGaming companies do their LATAM operations kick-off by hiring a Country Manager or Senior Marketing Manager, which can be a difficult task and require a specialized recruitment agency. After this process is well-conducted, a structure needs to be defined and professionals must be found. Once the right talent is hired and interesting projects are being built, a company has to create a well-defined company culture, implement work flexibility, and offer well-paid compensations to reduce the risk of turnover. Professionals need to feel as if they belong to something they value.
How can Pacifica Continental help these companies with this process?
Given our vast expertise, Pacifica is able to offer the latest market insights in terms of how top operators are building team structures, how the market is paying, and where to find the “right pieces” for these structures. We give end-to-end advisory to our clients from the first discovery call until after the project is completed, and we commit to their growth by building top-performing teams and delivering beyond their expectations. Our clients see us as a more a supplier, they see us as a Business Partner.
We have built a network throughout the years that allows us to do more than just “fill a position”. We are able to find the ideal fit between companies and talents to develop long-term relationships where we can build successful careers and projects together. Our proven track record shows that we work with professionals and companies that strive for greatness.
Your success is our success.
Sergio Basurto, Global Business Developer Manager at Pacifica Continental
