Building a skilled, compliant workforce for iGaming markets

Shirley Pulis Xerxen June 4, 2024

The conference agenda at SiGMA Asia 2024 today included an interesting fireside chat, powered by Pronet Gaming, focused on building a skilled, compliant workforce for iGaming markets. Speakers were Jaime Debono, CEO of iGaming Academy and Yuliya Khrenova, Head of Compliance & DPO at iGaming Academy. Jaime Debono emphasised the importance of understanding the global employee market within the gaming industry, with extensive research revealing key insights about employee opportunities, growth potential, and challenges in employment, resourcing, and upskilling. He noted that the U.S. is a significant market with close to a million employees in gaming operations, followed by the U.K., the E.U., and Asia, with Macau alone hosting around 50,000 employees. Emerging markets like Brazil were also highlighted as areas of interest.

Compliance requirements and their impact on the sector

Yuliya Khrenova then took the stage to discuss compliance requirements. She pointed out that training is not voluntary but a necessary component to meet licensing and compliance standards, which are becoming increasingly complex with the expansion of regulated markets and the introduction of stricter regulations. Khrenova highlighted several trends, including the rise of jurisdictions regulating or prohibiting gambling, the need for multi-licensing, and the subsequent increase in compliance requirements. She also mentioned the growing importance of risk assessments and the directives that make senior management personally liable for compliance failures.

Responsible gaming

The discussion then turned to responsible gaming, with Khrenova noting that while the global statistics on problem gambling are relatively low, national figures can be higher, prompting regulators to introduce stricter requirements. She also mentioned the stigmatisation of gambling in some markets and the introduction of deposit limits and affordability checks. Both speakers agreed on the need for operators to understand the complex regulatory environment and protect the minority of problem gamblers. They stressed the importance of training in safeguarding companies against potential non-compliance fines, which have been on the rise, particularly in the U.K. The fireside chat concluded with a call to action for the industry to invest in training and compliance to ensure a skilled and compliant workforce that can adapt to the ever-changing regulatory landscape.