iGB-Pentasia Salary Survey: Analysis of 2025 developments shaping sector pay

Summary

The iGB-Pentasia Salary Survey 2025 provides a final, consolidated view of pay across the iGaming sector, breaking remuneration down by seniority and role. The survey highlights AI as the dominant force reshaping required skills and team structures, while hiring remains focused on mid-to-senior hires rather than entry-level roles. Regional shifts, remote work preferences and tighter budgets are also driving changes in recruitment and compensation practices.

Key Points

AI is central: employers now expect machine learning, automation and AI engineering skills across tech and data functions.
Hiring focus has shifted to mid and senior-level professionals; fewer entry-level openings as companies seek immediate impact.
Salary growth has stabilised overall; senior tech roles remain competitive but budgets are tighter and pay bands are often enforced.
Remote-first and hybrid working models dominate tech and marketing; strict on-site mandates can drive senior-level attrition.
New hubs such as Dubai and Tbilisi are emerging, while traditional centres (Malta, Gibraltar, Estonia) remain important.
Commercial roles remain strong in Asia, the Middle East and LatAm; crypto and sweepstakes expertise is increasingly valuable.
Affiliate consolidation accelerated by Google algorithm changes is reshaping acquisition channels and commercial strategy.
Compliance and finance show cautious cost-control trends: licence consolidation, fractional hires and leaner finance teams are common.
Long-term incentives (LTIPs, equity, performance schemes) are increasingly essential to secure senior leadership.
Compensation is a strategic differentiator — it signals culture and can determine retention through transformation, M&A or exits.

Content Summary

The survey paints a sector balancing innovation with prudence. AI-driven capabilities have moved from desirable to often mandatory, prompting new roles (AI engineers, Heads of AI) and hiring from adjacent high-tech sectors. Organisations are prioritising hires who can deliver automation and machine-learning outcomes, not just traditional BI skills.

While technology and commercial teams chase specialised talent, employers are tightening budgets in many areas. Where pay is constrained, flexibility in sourcing and role design becomes important. Remote work remains a key attraction — firms insisting on full-time office attendance risk losing senior staff — and regional pay disparities complicate global compensation strategies. In compliance and finance, operators favour fractional or consolidated approaches to control costs, though underinvestment in regulatory expertise at smaller startups raises risk.

Context and Relevance

This survey matters if you hire, manage or seek a role in iGaming. It summarises the shifts employers should be planning for: build AI capability, rethink sourcing and reward structures, and treat compensation as a strategic lever rather than an administrative cost. For boards and HR teams, the findings underline the need for competitive long-term incentives and a clearer regional pay strategy to retain talent through change.

Why should I read this?

Quick and practical — read this if you’re hiring or hunting for a job in iGaming. It tells you what skills are suddenly table stakes (AI), where talent is moving (remote, Dubai/Tbilisi), and how pay and perks are being used (or ignored) to keep leaders. Saves you time: the bits that matter for recruitment, retention and pay strategy are all here.