Big Debate: Is there a digital skills shortage in the gambling sector?

David Richardson, strategic partnerships manager, Better Change

As with a lot of technology-driven industries, it is quite difficult to imagine a sustained period where the provision of labour can keep up to date with the advancements in applied technology. For example, as soon as a university course has its content written, within months there is a danger of it being out of date in fast-paced digital environments, and in such areas as gambling and gaming.

The propensity for people in established roles to learn new skills can also be a rarity and people within these roles do recognise the importance of bringing through new talent to fill the voids of digital knowledge. The size of the industry means that the voids that need filling are likely to always be greater than the talent pool available at any point in time. In an educational setting, it would take a brave careers guide or counsellor to talk to young people, even in post-16 education, about a career in the gaming industry.

This is such a shame as the vast array of talent needed by some of the most successful gaming operators, suppliers and affiliates alike are not advised or shown the potential of working for one of them, often with an advanced career pathway. I fear that for many people outside of the industry, a stereotypical traditional bookie is the only career pathway that is known.

Unlike many industries which have different public perceptions, the potential loss of young talent in the gaming and gambling industry is huge, mainly due to a lack of exposure to it as an option.

So, what can the gambling industry do to attract people? It can proactively get in the right space to showcase to the best talent and provide an improved positive public perception. It is not a dark place which is not an option and should not be spoken of, but it is in fact the chance to work in one of the oldest entertainment industries in the world in a digitally driven, progressive environment.

James King, CEO, Flows

While I have taken the ‘no’ side of this debate, I do believe there is a digital skills shortage within the industry driven by the rapid expansion it has enjoyed in recent years. There is a finite number of people with specific skill sets and the need for these people and their skills has increased to the point where demand outstrips supply.

However, at the same time, we have seen new technologies come to the market that allow people to use their abilities and even upskill without additional training. These technologies can help streamline workloads and workflows to help optimise the people within business to do more.

In most cases where people are working to their limit, the limit is based on the tools they have access to. If they are given access to better tools that allow them to work more efficiently and effectively, then it can mitigate the need for companies to keep growing their teams with talent that is not readily available. For instance, innovation platforms can ingest data from any source or integration to empower an entire organisation to connect apps, build features and drive digital automation, all without code. This in turn accelerates the delivery of what is currently being done while facilitating the development and launch of new products, markets, etc.

So, while there is a digital skills shortage, there are a growing number of technologies, platforms and tools available that can allow people to do more with their time and skills/abilities, which ultimately mitigates the need for organisations to keep onboarding more staff at a time when talent is hard to come by. What’s more, it helps organisations to future-proof, should the shortage in digital skills remain a prolonged issue, or if the industry finds itself in a similar situation in the future. Ultimately, it comes down to working smarter, not harder, and there are a growing number of technologies and platforms that allow organisations to do just that.