Driving Diversity and Innovation: Betbazar’s Approach to an Inclusive iGaming Industry

With the iGaming industry working to provide a more inclusive space for people of all genders, ages and cultural backgrounds, we talked to Betbazar CEO, Alex Iaroshenko, to learn how the company’s progressive approach has built an environment where diverse perspectives can thrive.

‍The iGaming industry, once heavily male-dominated, has seen a push toward greater gender diversity in recent years. How has Betbazar promoted gender diversity and inclusivity in the iGaming industry?

Personally, I’ve never subscribed to the belief that certain jobs are more suitable for men than women – though of course I acknowledge this has been an issue in the iGaming industry in the past. Up until recently, I think there have been companies who have stressed the importance of gender equality publicly but haven’t “practiced what they preached” from a hiring perspective. This has resulted in many women holding PA-type positions, but areas like the sales team have remained very male-dominated. We don’t have this mentality at Betbazar and I’m proud of that fact. We understand that a diverse workforce is key to driving creativity, innovation and long-term success and have made an effort to create an environment where women can thrive at all levels.

One of the key initiatives we’ve implemented is to actively promote women into leadership positions and our current C-level team certainly reflects this fact. Our Chief Marketing Officer, Human Resource Director and Head of Support are all female, which demonstrates our dedication to creating clear pathways for women in all areas of our organisation. We offer mentorship programs, leadership training and an open environment that supports career growth and we also participate in industry-wide efforts to advocate for gender equality in iGaming. This way, we not only support women in pursuing careers in technology and gaming, but also showcase female role models within our organisation that can inspire a new generation of talent.

With the "glass ceiling" still a challenge for women in iGaming, Betbazar already has women in key roles like CMO, HRD and Head of Support as you mentioned. How has your company ensured that there are clear career paths for women to advance into these senior positions?

I don’t believe there should ever be a glass ceiling if a person does their job well, irrespective of their gender. At Betbazar, we’ve created a culture of empowerment where all employees are encouraged to set ambitious career goals and are provided with the resources to achieve them. For women in particular, we focus on creating clear, transparent career paths and we offer them tailored support to help them navigate their professional journey. Of course, having prominent female figures in key roles within our organisation is also very important, as this provides our female employees with personal guidance and a network of support that can help them overcome any challenges they might face.

While I can’t speak to the issue from a woman’s perspective, I’ve also experienced restrictions in my career development and fully appreciate how difficult it can be when you feel you’re not being promoted because there are certain invisible barriers that exist within your company’s culture. Having been there myself, it was a big priority of mine to ensure that no such restrictions occurred at Betbazar. We can ensure women have the opportunity to rise to leadership positions in a fair and equitable way.

Diversity includes age, ethnicity, and more. How has Betbazar created career opportunities for all, regardless of background?

At Betbazar the most important things are approaching work with the right attitude, sharing in the company culture and – ultimately – delivering results. If you’re capable of doing these things, I don’t believe there should ever be any barriers to your success, regardless of your gender, nationality, age or any other criteria you can think of. When these roadblocks do exist, they’re usually found in more traditional companies that haven’t updated their values to reflect today’s iGaming landscape, and that’s not us. We’re more progressive in this respect and ensure all team members, regardless of background, have an equal opportunity to contribute, grow and succeed.

I believe diversity in all its forms leads to a more creative, innovative and productive environment and Betbazar has a comprehensive recruitment policy that actively seeks out candidates from a wide range of backgrounds. This ensures that our hiring processes are free from bias and that we’re creating opportunities for people from all walks of life. We promote an inclusive work culture where everyone’s voice is heard and we offer flexible working options which can accommodate different cultural values, caregiving responsibilities and working styles across age groups. These initiatives help make Betbazar a welcoming environment for all, where everyone feels respected, valued and supported as they contribute towards the company’s overall mission.

As a multinational company with a remote workforce, BETBAZAR faces unique challenges. How do you ensure shared values and a sense of belonging among your diverse team?

Creating a unified culture based on respect, collaboration and shared purpose is something that we broadcast through everyday communication at all levels. We hold regular company-wide virtual meetings where we highlight achievements, update on progress and engage in open dialogue, which helps ensure that all team members feel informed and included no matter where they’re located. While our strategic objectives and HR policies are all set at a corporate level, we ensure this is also supported by our hiring process and we’re very careful to only add team members that we feel truly represent our values and can add something to the company culture.

As a multi-national business with a remote workforce, we have strong communication channels in place such as Jira, Sales CRM, Slack chats, internal newsletters and monthly one-on-one check-ins to give employees a platform to discuss their challenges and successes. This helps foster a sense of community and belonging where individual contributions are acknowledged, and we support this with virtual team-building activities that enable employees to connect on a personal level. Of course, we also meet up in person wherever the opportunity arises, so whenever there’s an event such as an exhibition, there’ll usually be a company dinner or night out to help build team spirit.

From an employee’s perspective, does BETBAZAR's diverse mix of gender, culture, and age create a richer environment for innovation and creative problem-solving?

Without a doubt. Whenever you gather a diverse mix of people from different genders, cultures and ages and give them a task to work on together, they bring unique perspectives to the table based on their own life experiences. People are different by their very nature and we want that difference to be encouraged, because that’s how you approach problems and identify opportunities from a variety of different angles in order to come up with more creative solutions. One of our key objectives is to develop into new regions like Latin America, so of course we will be hiring there and will endeavour to find people that understand the market and the culture. Without having that local knowledge plus the ability to meet clients in the region face-to-face and make genuine connections, it’s very difficult to be successful and have people say “Yes, I want to buy from you.” 

The other big positive that having a diverse workforce brings is that it creates a culture of continuous learning where team members can gain cultural insights from people they might not otherwise have met in their everyday life. This helps each individual not only develop and grow as a person, but also broadens their understanding of different markets, players preferences and emerging trends, all of which are crucial to remaining competitive in a constantly evolving industry like iGaming. For me, one of Betbazar’s greatest strengths is the ability to bring so many different perspectives together to help us think outside the box and tackle challenges in new and innovative ways. This really does help make a company far more flexible and likelier to succeed.

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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 Sportsbook Platform and Esports Content, they deliver the performance, reliability and growth operators need to stay ahead. The company 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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