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Odgers Berndtson: Annual income of esports top management can reach $170 000


Headhunters are often among the first to identify trends, thereby making them the people who come to find the best managers.
Odgers Berndtson has interviewed twenty top club managers around the world – from North America to Oceania, including Western Europe, Russia and the CIS countries. The results of this study will be useful for all market participants: clubs to compare themselves with competitors, investors who want to enter the esports market, professionals who want to work in the industry, and for fans who are interested in understanding what’s behind their favorite players.
Organisational structures
During interviews with representatives of esports clubs, we have identified 2 main management models (each of them can be subdivided into 2 subcategories):
The first model is a business structure with traditional key functions inside: Sales, Operations, HR, Finance, etc., which report to the CEO. These structures follow the classic organisational model from the corporate world. 81% of the clubs we surveyed have this type of organisational structure.
The remaining 19% of clubs have only two key managers – CEO (Chief Executive Officer) and COO (Chief Operating Officer), who share areas of responsibility among themselves. The most common configuration is when one manager develops such functions as Sales, Marketing and Gaming, and the another one is responsible for the back-office (accounting, finance, etc.). In 50 % of these companies the club outsources the functions of sales and marketing, and the rest have these functions (including sales and marketing) implemented internally.
Sports management
The main resource of the esports business are players, teams, and sports results. Nowadays, clubs use 2 main models of sports management. 57% of clubs have a Sports Director / Chief Gaming Officer who is responsible for team management and sports performance. In the remaining 43%, this function is linked with one of the top managers of the club (CEO / COO). The main factor in both approaches is the CEO / COO’s personal professional gaming experience.
Compensation packages
After we have gathered and systemized all data of compensation packages in the clubs, we saw a big difference in absolute values (up to 10 times). This is due to the different living standards in the regions where esports clubs are present. To present the relevant average earnings in key positions, we removed 10% of the minimum and maximum values.
Annual income:
• CEO – from $ 70,000 to $ 170,000 gross;
• COO – from $ 50,000 to $ 160,000 $ gross;
• CCO (Sales, Partnerships, Sponsorships) / CMO (Content, Marketing, PR) – from $ 50,000 to $ 150,000 gross;
• HRD / CFO / CIO / Legal Director – from $ 40,000 to $ 120,000 gross.
Compensation packages insights
Over the past 1.5-2 years, the structure of compensation packages has changed towards a form similar to other industries – a fixed part and a bonus (the amount of which depends on the KPIs fulfillment). It is important to note that about 40% of top clubs stimulate their top team with long-term incentives (LTI).
The main KPIs for top management are operational: P&L performance, growth number of subscribers on social networks and active fans, views of matches / team content, users retention, and attraction of partners.
Most of Chief Gaming Officer and the CEO have sports results reflected in KPIs. This distinguishes esports managers from colleagues who manage clubs in traditional sports, where in most cases the entire team of top managers has an additional bonus from the team’s athletic performance.
Market trends
• An esports club is no longer just a collection of players who play for themselves or their investor. It is a full-fledged business with media and commercial parts. Esports has become a valuable part of the entertainment market;
• The staff ranges from 18 to 75 people. Only 21% of the organizations we had surveyed have more than 50 employees. Esports clubs, unlike traditional sports teams, still have compact structures;
• Esports companies are becoming increasingly mature and open toward external markets. They hire people having no professional gaming experience, invite business consultants to tackle recruitment tasks, draft strategy and move the club forward;
• Proper P&L management is a short- or mid-term task for 75% of top clubs;
• Employment’s agreements with athletes have changed:
– KPIs for sports results now included
– employment contracts became long-term;
– the club’s share has increased in the prize money from tournaments.
About the study:
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: Odgers Berndtson: Annual income of esports top management can reach 0 000

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TaDa Gaming Releases 10 Sparkling Crown
Leading content provider, TaDa Gaming, is offering palatial style play in new slot release 10 Sparkling Crown. A randomly triggered Jackpot Poker game puts serious dazzle power in players’ hands with special win multipliers applied to the four individual jackpots.
With Expanding Wilds and solid gold Scatters giving multipliers up to 100x the bet, the five reels, three rows and 10 fixed paylines game offers royal win potential with 10,000x max.
Wild Crowns appear on reels two, three and four only and will vertically expand to cover the reel when they hit a prize, turning all positions wild. Gold dollar sign Scatters can appear on all reels. Three, four or five scatters will award multipliers of 5x, 20x or 100x the bet, respectively.
With a fruit salad of symbols alongside Lucky 7s and Golden Bells rolling down the reels and a soundtrack worthy of royalty, the wins can come thick and fast in this mid volatility game.
The randomly triggered bonus Jackpot Poker game injects another layer of excitement into 10 Sparkling Crown. The Club jackpot is equal to 5x the bet; Diamonds gives 20x; Hearts, 50x and the Spades can deliver a game-changing 1000x the bet value. The four suits sit in order at the top of the screen, each showing a jackpot value which could be a whopping €200,000 for Spades.
The bonus game can trigger once a round has completed and all wins collected. Players will see 15 face down cards appear on the screen: select cards by clicking until three matching card suits from Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts or Spades have been revealed which will trigger the corresponding jackpot.
To further ramp up gameplay, there are potentially two types of special cards in the selection that will impact the win value: the Club Deleting Card and the Multiplier Card.
The card showing a Club with a strikethrough image is the Club Deleting Card which removes all the low value Clubs. The Multiplier card brings 2x or 5x the win value and, if both cards appear in the same selection, then the multiplier values are multiplied so the win is then uplifted by 10x.
When three matching card suits are revealed, the corresponding Jackpot Poker Game value is awarded. However, if players take more than five seconds to choose from the face down cards, these will randomly flip themselves over through auto selection.
With a wide betting range from 0.02 to 200 local currency to appeal to all player styles; and turbo play for those who love speed, 10 Sparkling Crown is a beautiful game that delivers big win potential in an easy to play slot with benefits.
Sean Liu, Director of Product Management at TaDa Gaming, said: “10 Sparkling Crown mixes different bonus games and features in a classic fruit slot. This is both enduringly popular with players and a TaDa signature, adding value to TaDa’s exciting and diverse portfolio.”
The post TaDa Gaming Releases 10 Sparkling Crown appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Launched in mid-2023, Lebull.pt has rapidly carved a name for itself in Portugal’s competitive online gambling space, earning recognition for its dedication to quality and innovation. With a strong emphasis on providing top-tier entertainment, Lebull.pt continuously seeks to elevate its platform by integrating best-in-class gaming content.
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Tiago Pereira, Country Manager of Lebull.pt, said: “LeBull.pt has been committed to delivering a world-class gaming experience to our players since day one, and our partnership with REEVO marks an exciting step in that direction. REEVO’s innovative and high-quality casino games align perfectly with our vision of providing a top-tier casino experience. This collaboration will enhance our platform with engaging and immersive content, ensuring our players always have access to the best gaming in the Portuguese regulated market.”
Karl Grech, Head of Business Development at REEVO, said: “At REEVO, we are always looking to collaborate with forward-thinking operators that share our passion for innovation and excellence. Partnering with Lebull.pt, a rising star in the Portuguese market, allows us to bring our cutting-edge content to an even wider audience. We are excited to work together to provide players with an unparalleled gaming experience, ensuring they enjoy the very best that online casino entertainment has to offer.”
The post REEVO Enters into Strategic Partnership with Lebull.pt appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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QTech Games bolsters its emerging markets platform with PG Soft
Leading distributor for emerging markets consolidates its pre-eminent offering with content from another established star in video slots and table games
QTech Games, the leading game aggregator for all emerging markets, has penned its latest provider partnership with PG Soft (Pocket Games Soft), enabling its platform customers to access this revered supplier’s multi-faceted catalogue which spans video slots and table games.
PG Soft, an emerging force in the igaming domain, draws from a deep well of slot games, including popular titles such as Wild Bandito, Candy Burst and Medusa. These hits often feature fresh twists on classic game themes, coupled with a mix of engaging cascades and reel layouts, packed with bonus games, multipliers, Turbo and Autoplay features. Accordingly, this progressive gaming suite now forms part of a wider market-leading portfolio made available by QTech Games to its clients.
By deploying the state-of-the-art technology from traditional tables to creative 3D video slots, PG Soft games are fully optimised for mobile as well as desktop to ensure the best gaming experience for all types of players. With a global-market approach, these games cater for every taste, from the more conventional Vegas-style to modern casual themes. Their well-balanced gameplay mechanics, varied volatility and maths models are already attracting new cohorts of players across the planet.
Founded and based in Valletta in 2015, PG Soft has subsequently broadened its international influence with offices in Riga and London. And this new agreement organically broadens PG Soft’s geographic footprint even further, targeting emerging markets from Asia and Eastern Europe to Latin America, and creating new revenue streams. As the fastest-growing distributor in Asia over the past few years, QTech’s platform offers the most expansive gaming portfolio around, localised for each region, with native mobile apps, powerful reporting and marketing tools, and 24/7 local-language support.
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“PG Soft are a creative and fast-growing igaming content provider, fusing a passion for gaming with extensive expertise in the industry. Together, we will continue to raise the bar and shape a localised experience for global players. We can’t wait to witness how these games perform across a range of untapped markets which, in many cases, represent new territory for PG Soft.”
A PG Soft spokesperson added: “QTech Games is a hotbed for superior online casino games and player-engagement tools, so we were keen to put our shoulders to their impressive distributional wheel. As we look to expand across developing regions, their market-leading platform provides a flexible gateway to some previously overlooked territories.
“PG Soft is purposefully comprised of next-generation innovators who are enthusiastic and driven to continuously create breakthrough titles which resonate with modern audiences. As such, we will always strive to deliver the best gaming experience in a safe and responsible manner.
“PG Soft continues to create top-tier slot games with well-balanced gameplay and unique features, framed by engaging visuals and immersive soundscapes. Needless to say, entering into this QTech agreement tracks our core strategy to fully leverage our reach, and we look forward to seeing how new players embrace our games.”
The post QTech Games bolsters its emerging markets platform with PG Soft appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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