The iGaming hiring landscape has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past five years, according to Oksana Izmailova, CHRO at RedCore.
Izmailova recently shared her insights following the HR MeetUp by RedCore in Limassol, Cyprus, where she addressed key shifts in talent acquisition.
Just five years ago, the market firmly belonged to candidates, with companies competing aggressively through counteroffers, bonuses, and increasingly generous perks to secure talent.
Izmailova noted that RedCore would routinely add around 20% on top of the market median salary just to make offers competitive during that period.
“It was very much a candidate-driven market,” she explained, recalling colleagues who were presenting iPhones to candidates simply for accepting a job offer during the interview process.
She described that era as one defined by constant demands for more, noting that even a senior candidate with an exceptionally attractive salary package once asked for fuel vouchers on top.
That period also prompted RedCore to begin building its HR brand, shifting focus toward opportunities and long-term prospects rather than simply outbidding competitors on compensation.
Izmailova noted she began observing significant change toward the end of 2023, and today the market has firmly become employer-driven.
Interviews have evolved considerably as a result, becoming more structured and focused, with employers far more comfortable challenging candidates on compensation expectations.
“We’re no longer afraid to ask questions like: ‘Why are you looking for that level of compensation?’ or ‘Where exactly are salaries at that level being offered today?'” she stated.
Candidates themselves have also changed, with stability now ranking alongside salary as a primary concern for professionals evaluating potential employers.
“They want to know that they will still have a job six months or a year from now,” Izmailova said, adding that candidates ask about long-term planning and business sustainability.
She observed that professionals now evaluate employers much as investors evaluate companies, viewing their time as their most valuable asset and seeking genuine growth potential.
On the compensation side, Izmailova shared that RedCore works closely with Mercer and Korn Ferry research alongside its own Talent Acquisition analytics to monitor market trends continuously.
Crypto roles command salaries 20 to 35% above traditional IT benchmarks, though Izmailova cautioned that employment in many crypto startups remains unreliable given unstable business models.
FinTech compensation runs approximately 8 to 12% higher than traditional IT, with companies like Revolut and Wise paying considerably more, though the sector tends toward slower movement and more bureaucracy.
The Dating industry pays roughly 8 to 15% above traditional IT, though it remains a smaller market and the experience gained there is often less transferable across sectors.
Within iGaming specifically, the salary premium over traditional IT has narrowed from a peak of 20 to 30% down to approximately 10 to 15% today, according to industry research.
Izmailova highlighted that iGaming remains a premium employment segment, growing at approximately 17 to 18% annually and increasingly recognised for the technological sophistication of its products.
Career progression speed and business stability are now the industry’s strongest recruitment advantages, with leadership timelines significantly shorter in iGaming than in large traditional corporations.
