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Q&A: Betting Jobs And Huddle Future Of Recruitment
As we move into a post-pandemic world, European Gaming spoke to Chris Miller Managing Director at Betting Jobs and Mario Zdelican, Co-founder/EVP of Operations at Huddle about the future of recruitment in iGaming and the lessons to be learnt from the last two years.
In-person industry shows like ICE are returning after a hiatus. How important are these for both candidates and recruiters?
CM: Prior to the pandemic I would have said that in-person shows like ICE were essential. They serve as a great time to make introductions to clients who are hiring and candidates who are attending with a goal of employment. We can often be the matchmaker there and then and produce a successful outcome.
Over these last two years both we and our clients have had to adapt without them, of course. In a post-pandemic world, they may not seem as essential as we once felt they were. However, we will be making the most of having everyone in one place at the same time at ICE and other industry shows as it represents an opportunity for Betting Jobs to make things happen instantly.
MZ: Building relationships with talent across other industries, as well as the IT community, locally and globally is of essential importance when recruiting and this was incredibly challenging during pandemic-related lockdowns. There were attempts made in the form of online conferences, but the networking part could never be replicated and struggled to reach pre-pandemic levels.
Going back to in-person shows will help us in further building relationships with candidates. Great talent wants to build relationships with prospective employers and the people who work there, and this is much easier to achieve now that we are able to travel again. It is much easier to explain and demonstrate the Huddle vision and culture, as well as our projects, by actually showcasing it in-person to potential new employees.
Will the hybrid model of working persist in a post-pandemic world and what challenges does it raise?
MZ: We are sure hybrid work is here to stay. Over the course of the pandemic, we have witnessed enormous change within the working world – organisations that were once resistant to employees working from home have undergone a dramatic shift towards being open to work from home and hybrid models.
Since there was no playbook for those scenarios, organisations all over the globe had to try out various ways of dealing with distributed work. We are already seeing new organisational designs around hybrid workplaces, with a multitude of adjustments being made by companies looking to create a model that works for them. In the coming years, we are surely going to experience more and more challenges, but improvements as well. A long time ago we said goodbye to traditional working models, with employee well-being and work-life balance now the focus of the change. We are excited to see what the future brings. Based on what we have learned so far, we will have no problems in adapting to whatever comes our way.
CM: For me there is no doubt that the hybrid model of working will persist. I do expect some pushback from companies who traditionally require candidates to relocate to jurisdictions like Malta, Gibraltar, and Bulgaria to carry out their work. However, candidates are currently more attracted to companies that offer either fully remote working or a hybrid model of employment. There is never enough available iGaming talent to satisfy the entire marketplace at once. Therefore, the companies that are winning on the recruitment front are those who are agile in their approach to hiring and who are willing to embrace current market trends.
In terms of challenges, the building and maintaining a company culture is one of the most topical. Some iGaming businesses have taken to these changes well by being receptive to remote working from the earliest days of the pandemic, or having remote working already established within their business model. Working from home and nurturing their company’s culture simultaneously has become natural to them and their business practices.
Those who have struggled to adapt to this are eager to return to traditional employment. These businesses will find it may take longer to fill positions at large, as candidates have more choice and flexibility available to them currently. The way the working world has changed in the last two years will prove to be an ongoing challenge for those who are eager to return to the Monday to Friday 9-5 model.
What opportunities have been created for businesses being able to hire prospective employees who can work anywhere in the world?
CM: Accessing skillsets and talented employees who would have been out of reach to businesses previously for geographical reasons has created many opportunities. When it is determined that an employee must be based in a set location, the decision for who to hire is based on who is available within a reasonable radius, or who will be willing to relocate. This means that a company may hire the best person they have interviewed, as opposed to hiring who is the best person for the job.
This issue is eliminated for those open to global talent, however, there are sensible factors to consider such as the differences in time zone between employee and employer. However, the world is your oyster, as they say, and this rings true in the present day when it comes to recruitment.
MZ: Remote work helps us to reach the top talents around the globe, and it greatly facilitates the growth and development of both the business and the product. The iGaming industry has so much to offer, as do the start-ups that operate within it. Start-ups like Huddle are becoming more and more of an attractive prospect on the recruitment scene, and now we have the ability to work with talents from anywhere in the world. It feels as if we are just starting to show the potential of opportunities for the top candidate profiles.
Does this allow for the hiring of experienced staff in burgeoning markets such as the US and Latin America?
MZ: The iGaming industry has never been as much in demand for talent as it is now – it is suffering from a lack of industry expertise. This is mostly due to the US and LatAm markets opening up, as well as other, smaller, markets. Demand for talent, new products and services is at its peak. Therefore, we are trying to think outside of the box. As easy as it is to hire people within the industry, there are candidates in many tech companies across various industries that are a perfect fit that have already solved some of the problems we as an industry are facing. Bringing that knowledge under our roof as an industry is a huge plus.
CM: In some cases, yes, although we are finding that many of our US clients maintain office working policies. If that’s the case, this is of course what we work towards, although we do make the realities of the present-day candidate-led recruitment market clear. To a large degree it depends on the role that is available. For example, if it is for a commercial person who is required to meet clients, it is less important for them to be office-based than, say, the person who manages or has oversight of the office.
For the burgeoning market of Latin America, country managers and their teams are a good example, as many will naturally be based remotely. Businesses don’t want to establish many companies across the continent and pay for office rental. It’s commonplace for people in such positions to work remotely and hire teams within their country. However, this is not a new thing as it has been the case since the early days of the sector and remains that way now.
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Lisbon’s streets set the pace for Season 2 of GR8 Tech’s Bet It Drives—the drive-time podcast where iGaming’s most interesting voices speak freely. Hosted by Yevhen Krazhan, Chief Sales Officer at GR8 Tech, each episode captures raw insight, candid stories, and the energy you can only find on the road.
Episode 4 of the Season 2 finale puts the spotlight on Kelly Kehn, founder, board member, and startup advisor in gaming. As co-founder of Defy the Odds (DTO), she’s building a launchpad and community connecting startups, investors, and operators—with a focus on female and minority founders. Previously, she co-founded the All-In Diversity Project, held ecosystem roles at happyhour.io and SBC, and serves on boards including FUNNZ.
During the ride, Kelly opens up about:
- Why iGaming events matter: the community, access, and acceleration you only get in the room.
- Defy the Odds (DTO): why she and her co-founders built it, what it is, and how founders plug in.
- Women in iGaming: real challenges and how to lower the barrier to entry; inclusion as a growth strategy.
- Pitch ideas that paid off and common startup pitch mistakes.
- The next possible unicorn in iGaming and what makes it possible.
- Soundtrack to success: the song for a win, the pre-coaching track, and the one that sums up her career.
- The boldest ideas: intention, asking for help, and doing the homework.
- The unwritten rule of iGaming.
- Halloween rubric: the scariest moments in life and career, and why saying the hard thing out loud matters.
- Kelly’s Champion Rule: Be kind to yourself and to others.
“As Kelly said, ‘When we open the space to more people and more perspectives, we all win and the pie gets bigger.’ This episode was the perfect finish of our Season 2 in Lisbon,” said Krazhan.
Watch or listen to Season 2, Episode 4 with Kelly Kehn on:
Season 2 of Bet It Drives launched with Rasmus Sojmark, kept pace with Tiago Pereira and Kyrylo Korobka, and now crosses the line with Kelly Kehn in the finale. But still, don’t unbuckle yet: Season 3 is coming soon with more interesting conversations and more reasons to hit play. Follow GR8 Tech to stay in the loop.
The next chapter of iGaming belongs to champions who play smart and bold. Join GR8 Tech at SiGMA Central Europe 2025, Rome, November 3–6, booth 5028-2, and discover the Heavyweight Rulebook—built for operators ready to scale, localize, and win.
The post GR8 Tech’s Bet It Drives Season 2 Finale: Kelly Kehn on Opening iGaming to New Founders appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
GambleAware Warns Outdated Gambling Advertising and Marketing Regulations are Leaving Children at Risk of Gambling Harm
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Regulations for online gambling marketing must urgently be brought into the digital age, a new report from the charity GambleAware has warned.
The report reveals that despite gambling being an age-restricted product, children are being exposed to gambling marketing online, before they reach an age at which they can critically evaluate it. This is leading to gambling being normalised and portrayed as “risk-free”, which increases the risk of them experiencing gambling harm.
Gambling harms are becoming an increasing part of children’s lives, with previous research finding that in 2024, around 85,000 children in Britain were experiencing harm from their own gambling, a figure which has doubled since 20233. GambleAware’s new report highlights how seeing gambling marketing and content, online and via social and streaming platforms, could be encouraging children to gamble and contributing to the number experiencing harm.
The new report calls out poor regulation of gambling marketing online, highlighting how more needs to be done to ensure the rules reflect the unique challenges presented by the digital age and urges a reduction in self-regulation to protect children from being exposed to age-restricted gambling content. Alongside this, GambleAware is also calling for mandatory health warnings to be put on all gambling marketing so people are aware of the risks and support available.
Specific changes to help protect children could include moves to hold online platforms to greater account and ensuring existing government programmes, such as the Online Safety Act and Online Advertising Programme, more directly address gambling marketing and content online. Alongside this, other recommendations include the alignment and strengthening of online safety regulatory powers and programmes.
GambleAware research also found strong public support from children and adults for changes to gambling marketing and advertising regulation. Around four in five children (79%) say they want more rules around gambling content and advertising on social media. Alongside this, over seven in ten adults also agree, saying they want more regulation around gambling advertising on social media (74%) and gambling related content on social media (70%).
Anna Hargrave, GambleAware Transition CEO, said: “Gambling operators invest significant resources into online marketing because it works at getting people to gamble more. This has resulted in children and young people being exposed to gambling content online before an age at which they can critically evaluate it and understand the risks that come with it.
“The current regulations covering gambling marketing and advertising online were designed before most children had easy access to the internet. Urgent action is needed to update these rules and bring them into the digital age to help keep children and young people safe from gambling harm.”
The post GambleAware Warns Outdated Gambling Advertising and Marketing Regulations are Leaving Children at Risk of Gambling Harm appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Max Sevostianov, CCO at Betbazar, reveals how AI Cricket blurs the line between sport, tech and entertainment — creating a 24/7 AI sports universe — where every match feels alive and every second counts.
- How did the idea of creating AI-driven Cricket come about?
It started from our roots in Live Data Feed and Live Content. We constantly saw the same demand from operators worldwide — they needed fast, round-the-clock sports content that actually feels alive. Traditional virtuals didn’t cut it anymore; they were too static, too predictable.
Cricket, with its global fanbase and built-in drama, became the perfect playground for something new. We wanted to merge sports logic, AI, and entertainment to create a product that doesn’t just simulate a match — it lives one. That’s how AI Cricket was born: a fast, emotional, and unpredictable experience built for the next generation who expect energy, not repetition.
- What market gap does this product fill – and which Operators or regions is it most relevant for?The biggest gap we saw was the “dead zone” between traditional virtuals and real sports. Virtual games looked repetitive and lifeless, while real matches were limited by schedules and logistics. Bettors were stuck between predictability and waiting.
AI Cricket closes that gap completely. It runs 24/7, behaves like a real sport with live odds movement, and keeps the unpredictability that makes real competition exciting. It’s already resonating strongly in cricket-driven regions — India, Bangladesh, Australia, and across Africa — where players crave constant, authentic action that never sleeps.
- AI Cricket offers a short dynamic format (3–6 minutes). How does it align with the behavior trends of the Next Generation of bettors?Today’s bettors live in a scroll culture. They want action, not waiting. The next generation grew up on TikTok clips, Reels, and esports rounds that last minutes, not hours. That shift completely changed attention patterns — and we built AI Cricket for that world.
Each match lasts just 3 to 6 minutes — quick, intense and rewarding. It’s snackable entertainment with real IGaming logic behind it. Players can jump in, experience the thrill, and move on — or stay for hours of back-to-back action that never loses momentum.
- How exactly does the AI model work to make every match unpredictable and “alive”?Behind every match is a living algorithm. Our AI engine processes thousands of variables — team stats, player behavior, pitch and weather conditions, even dynamic momentum shifts. It learns from real cricket patterns but never repeats itself.
That’s what makes it unpredictable — no scripted loops, no recycled outcomes. Every delivery, every wicket, carries its own story. You can literally feel the rhythm of the game changing, just like in live sports. That’s where the emotion comes from — not from animation, but from intelligence.
- How customisable is the product for each Operator’s brand?
We built AI Cricket to be more than a plug-and-play product — it’s a canvas for each Operator’s brand. Our customisation layer lets partners design branded tournaments with their own visuals, logos, and atmosphere.
That means every sportsbook can offer something that feels exclusive — not “another virtual,” but their cricket universe. It’s a powerful way to build loyalty and keep players coming back, because the experience looks, sounds and plays like it truly belongs to that Operator.
- Does Betbazar plan to expand the AI-driven approach to other sports as well?
Absolutely — Cricket was just the opening chapter. The core AI engine we’ve built is flexible enough to adapt to any sport with a short, dynamic format. We’re already experimenting with new disciplines that share the same DNA: fast action, unpredictability, and constant engagement. Our goal is to create a full AI-driven sports universe.
- How do you see AI-powered Content evolving in the iGaming industry over the next 2-3 years?
AI-powered content transforms iGaming by making it faster to test ideas, launch products, and measure results. It turns IGaming into a form of entertainment — offering new, immersive experiences rather than just odds and outcomes. It’s a powerful way for Operators to experiment with different hypotheses, understand player behaviour, and adapt their sportsbook in real time. The line between sports, gaming, and entertainment is fading — and we want Betbazar to lead that evolution.
About Betbazar
Betbazar is a product-first iGaming technology company that empowers Operators with profitable solutions. From low-latency Live Data Feed and AI-driven products to a Turnkey Platform and Sportsbook Solutions, the company delivers performance, reliability and growth Operators need to stay ahead. Betbazar is a long-term technology partner, helping Operators integrate faster, operate smarter and scale stronger.
Website: https://betbazar.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/betbazar
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