UK: Demand for top marketers drives casino sector salaries

The casino market has also been hit by the economic downturn. Smoking bans have affected some territories and the UK has been particularly impacted by increased taxation and licensing restrictions.

As a result, casino operators are progressively looking to marketing professionals from outside the industry to inject the technical ability and fresh thinking required to re-energize the sector and drive attendance and spend. The survey shows that average salaries for Marketing Managers and for Marketing Directors are highly competitive with those outside the sector.

“The need to find and attract the best talent, often from outside the industry, means the importance of strategic recruitment at executive level to guide the industry through difficult times has never been greater,” said Steven Jackson of Sports Recruitment International.

Overall the picture painted by the survey is of an industry where salary ranges differ hugely from territory to territory depending on the development of individual markets. “In some maturing markets we are actually seeing salaries come down as the roles previously held by higher paid expats are being offered to local talent. This is a natural evolution,” Steven Jackson said.

He believes the UK market will tighten during 2009, although the 17 new licenses brought about by the 2005 Gaming Act will help to increase competition and push up salaries. Looking further ahead, pressure on state owned monopolies to open up a free market will encourage competition and boost salaries elsewhere in Europe.

“Critically, we expect international casino operators to continue to look at an international candidate base to identify the talent they need to pursue their development objectives. We expect these candidates to command higher salaries at middle management and executive level where a new breed of highly technical, marketing and business development processionals will be sought to drive strategies for development.”

Sports Recruitment International was launched in London in 2001 as The Sports Recruitment Company and has offices in London, Amsterdam and Geneva. The company re-branded earlier this year to better reflect its offering and ambition in the increasingly global sports jobs marketplace.

Over the years the company has become acknowledged as the pre-eminent talent partner in the sports sector and lists many of the world’s leading sports agencies, broadcasters, casinos, clubs, gaming operators, governing bodies, sponsors and sports goods brands among its clients.