There’s still a big misconception about what we mean when we refer to Online Gaming. We’re not talking console or PC games, but more fast-moving sportsbook, betting, poker and casino platforms. Put simply, think William Hill, not World of Warcraft. 

This area of the gaming industry has grown exponentially over the past decade and shows zero sign of slowing in the coming years. In the UK alone, 33 per cent of the total gross gambling yield comes from online gaming, a figure that keeps increasing year-on-year. 

As a result, Online Gaming offers a world of opportunity for professionals across a broad range of specialisms including software development, marketing and compliance, to name a few.

From the creative…

You only need to log onto an Online Gaming app to see the importance of developing eye-catching visuals. Online Gaming designers need vision and imagination to turn the real life into the virtual, to keep the user engaged, as well as a keen eye for what might be the next big thing in the gaming world.

Working with a creative director, the digital designer is responsible for more than creating the graphic design and graphical user interface, with new sites having proprietary features. The digital designer and motion graphics designers must transform the physical environment into a successful virtual platform, with designs for popular games like online bingo, casino and sportsbook all an essential part of the mix.

…to the technical

Bridging the gap between the artists and programmers working on a game, the role of technical artist is key to bringing the creative vision to reality. For the technical whizzes out there, gaming relies on software developers and computer programmers to implement the game designer’s vision of the finished game. While developers, such as Java developers and Javascript Ninja developers, as well as front end and back end developers, design the software that makes games function as the creatives intended, programmers write the computer code that brings the design to life. Development operations (devops) engineers and system engineers sit within the technical team and are responsible for creating the online infrastructure for a game, often working within the 3DS Max platform.

Information security experts play a key role in this industry. These analysts monitor gambling sites and networks for potential security threats and breaches, as well as implement the site’s security standards and maintain a strong knowledge base about the network.

At the business end

Online gaming also relies heavily on promotion executives and promotion managers, to actively market the products to potential players in this competitive market, as well as VIP promotions managers to specifically grow the VIP player base.  

The industry also needs product owners and project managers to look after the business, commercial and financial details, and prepare them for marketing to the public. Marketing managers, sales teams and directors are responsible for co-ordinating the marketing and sales platform, while market research analysts determine the needs of the gaming audience and their buying preferences. Marketing analysts work with Google analytics to predict future trends and successes based on trends.

Customer experience management (CEM) is becoming a vital strategic initiative within the online gaming industry. Savvy online gaming businesses are investing heavily in CEM and are building dedicated teams to understand and improve the customer experience, building teams of CX managers and CX analysts. In this highly competitive industry, customer satisfaction is key – and customer loyalty is king.

This wide array of roles makes the online gaming industry an attractive option for a broad range of professionals, whether currently working in gaming or not.  SRGEurope has an in depth knowledge of the gaming industry and we’re here to help you make your next career move. Sound exciting? Get in touch with our expert team today.