SOFTSWISS and Pentasia event highlights tougher hiring conditions in iGaming for 2026

iGaming software supplier SOFTSWISS and recruitment agency Pentasia hosted a talent-focused expert event in Malta, bringing together HR and executive leaders from across Europe to discuss growing challenges in iGaming recruitment and strategies to remain competitive.

The event, titled Talent Trends: Expert Discussion, showcased findings from the 2026 iGaming Talent Trends report, based on survey responses from more than 90 B2B and B2C industry leaders, alongside operational and recruitment data from both companies.

The panel featured Natalia Perkowska, Deputy Chief HR Officer at SOFTSWISS; Denis Romanovskiy, Chief AI Officer at SOFTSWISS; Alastair Cleland, Managing Director at Pentasia; and Andrew Cook, Head of Conexus Leadership at The Conexus Group.

Discussions centred on increasing pressure in the iGaming talent market, driven by rising demand for cross-skilled professionals, the impact of artificial intelligence on workforce structures and longer hiring cycles for senior roles.

Perkowska said senior candidates are increasingly applying what she described as a “digital stress test” when evaluating employers, focusing more on product roadmaps and decision-making speed than workplace perks. She added that employer transparency and operational clarity are becoming decisive factors.

“The people you actually need are not task executors. They are system architects. When highly experienced professionals read a job description full of repetitive duties, they often see only busywork and move on. The companies that win in the next few years will stop hiring specialists who fit the current process. They will hire people who can design the next process,” Perkowska said.

Pentasia’s presentation highlighted a shift toward remote-first hiring, noting companies can access talent pools roughly 340% larger than through local recruitment alone. As competition intensifies, expanding geographic reach is becoming essential, particularly for candidates with hybrid expertise across areas such as technology, compliance and fraud prevention.

“The companies need to build what we call internal ‘Talent Factories’. This means continuously developing skills and creating environments where experts can deliver impact quickly. Because in today’s market, the world is not your office. The world is your talent pool,” Cleland said.

The panel also examined the growing role of AI in hiring and organisational design. AI literacy is becoming a baseline requirement, while demand is increasing for specialists capable of overseeing AI systems.

Romanovskiy warned that reduced hiring at junior levels could create a long-term gap in mid-level talent, and added that identifying top-tier senior candidates is becoming more difficult as profiles appear increasingly similar on paper.

Following the Malta event, SOFTSWISS and Pentasia said they will continue discussions online with a LinkedIn Live panel titled “Stop Losing Talent: 7 Smart Steps for Hiring in 2026,” scheduled for March 20 at 1300 CEST. Registration is now open. 

The full 2026 iGaming Talent Trends report is available for free download on the SOFTSWISS website.