Online Gambling Specialists
Requirements
Education and Training Requirements
High School
High school classes that will be useful for any type of online gambling specialist career include English and speech (which will help you to develop your communication skills), mathematics, business, and social studies. If you plan to pursue an IT-related career, be sure to take classes in computer science, programming, digital design, and computer security. If a career in sales or marketing is on your radar, take courses in these areas.
Postsecondary Education
Some colleges and universities—such as San Diego State University, Morrisville State College, and Tulane University—offer certificates or degrees in casino management, tribal (i.e., Native American) gaming, and other areas, but the majority of people who work in IGaming have degrees in their occupational specialty. For example, computer security specialists have information security degrees, marketing professionals have marketing or sales degrees, and digital designers have degrees in web design, graphic design, or digital design. Most employers seek candidates with at least an associate’s degree, but preferably a bachelor’s degree. Earning a master’s degree is a good strategy if you want to become a manager and/or broaden your knowledge base.
Certification
Educational certificates in casino management, tribal gaming, information technology, marketing, sales, customer service, and other fields are available from colleges and universities, professional associations such as the IEEE Computer Society, and online learning platforms (OLPs) such as Udemy, edX, and Coursera. Participating in a certificate program is a good way to further investigate topics in your field, explore potential career paths, and build your skill set.
Other Education or Training
Professional associations, OLPs, technology vendors, and other providers offer continuing education (CE) opportunities such as webinars, in-person classes, and workshops and other learning opportunities at their annual conferences. For example, the American Marketing Association holds a variety of conferences and offers webinars such as Bridging the Gap Between Marketing Strategy and Execution; How to Create Content Sales Will Love and Actually Use!; and Match Your Audience to the Right Social Channels. Computer security professionals can sign up for CE classes and webinars from the CERT Division, Information Systems Security Association, (ISC)², SANS Institute, Association for Computing Machinery, and other organizations.
Certification, Licensing, and Special Requirements
Certification or Licensing
Voluntary certification credentials are available from professional associations for IT, marketing, sales, and other types of workers. For example, the IEEE Computer Society offers the certified software development associate credential (for entry-level software professionals), the certified software development professional credential (for experienced software designers and engineers), and the professional software engineering master certification (for very experienced and skilled software professionals) to individuals who meet experience and education requirements and pass an examination. The American Marketing Association offers the professional certified marketer credential. Contact associations in your area of interest for more information.
Special Requirements
Some employers may require that workers undergo a background check.
Experience, Skills, and Personality Traits
Any experience one can obtain with an online gambling company—such as an internship, volunteering, or a part-time job—will be useful.
Required skills vary by occupational specialty, but recommended traits for all workers include strong interpersonal, communication, time-management, problem-solving, and organizational skills; creativity; flexibility; enthusiasm; a top-notch work ethic; the ability to work both independently and as a member of a team, when needed; and a willingness to continue to learn throughout their careers.