Cordelia Morgan-Cooper provides a sequel to her previous article that laid the power of recruitment at the feet of candidates. Now it seems things have flipped as employers are becoming increasingly emboldened to squeeze candidate demands.
I previously wrote about the evolving power dynamics within the iGaming talent market. After a decade of employees holding increasing leverage - driven by unicorn skill shortages, remote-work flexibility, rising benefits and a truly global talent pool - the scales were still relatively balanced. But just a few short months later, the market has shifted again, dramatically! And for the first time in over ten years, the power is not shared.
In 2025, the iGaming job market is almost entirely employer-driven, and candidates are feeling the change both when entering recruitment processes, but more crucially at the offer stage.
This isn't about companies 'winning' or employees 'losing'. It's about a structural reset that has been brewing beneath the surface for years. Now, it has finally reached a tipping point.
In a previous article, I described how employees had reshaped the market through rare skill sets, salary transparency, negotiation power and the remote-work revolution. For a long time, companies were forced to stretch to compete - offering top-tier salaries, flexible policies and extra perks simply to attract or retain staff.
In 2024–2025, several forces collided at once:
- Large-scale restructuring by major operators and suppliers
- Significant consolidation across affiliates and B2B platforms
- A slowdown in expansion, especially into previously high-growth markets
- Rising regulatory costs are reducing headcount budgets
- AI automating entry-level and mid-level tasks
- A surge of candidates from restructured teams is entering the job market simultaneously
And the result of this? A complete reversal of power.
We have seen many examples throughout this year of candidates' salary expectations being cut by 25% to 30% at the offer stage
Roles that once attracted two or three suitable applicants are now receiving ten. It's common for my team at CMC Consulting to see six candidates at the final stage of a recruitment process. Salary expectations that were once met without question are now being firmly challenged. And for the first time in years, candidates are not negotiating from strength - they're negotiating from necessity. We have seen many examples throughout this year of candidates' salary expectations being cut by 25% to 30% at the offer stage.
Clients expect more for less
One of the most defining trends of 2025 is the shift in employer expectations. Companies are under pressure to do more with leaner teams, and this is now reflected in hiring behaviour.
The new employer mindset: one person can cover what used to be potentially two or three roles. This isn't unrealistic any more. With a deeper candidate pool, businesses can genuinely find: CRM Managers who can handle segmentation and automation,
AI-supported workflows that replace content specialists and outsourcing mean that they replace finance or HR assistants entirely.
For job seekers, this means the bar has risen. For employers, it means they finally have a choice.
And when employers have a choice, they naturally start to demand more capability, more experience and more immediate value for the same - or sometimes lower - salary levels.
End of the salary boom
We are finally seeing the End of the "Unicorn Salary Boom". Just two years ago, we were seeing candidates with two to four years of niche experience earning £40-65,000 -sometimes more. Rapid competition inflated salaries to unsustainable levels. Companies benchmarked upwards simply to avoid losing talent. That era is now over.
2025 has brought a return to pragmatic salary structuring, where offers are more conservative, and budgets are being held firm. Counteroffers have also plummeted.
Candidates expecting 2022-era packages are discovering quickly that the market has moved on and employers are no longer willing to stretch beyond what a role is actually worth to the business.
Hybrid and on-site requirements have made a comeback - with no apologies. The remote-first era, accelerated by COVID, gave employees unprecedented flexibility. But now, employers are reversing that trend. We're seeing the same pattern across both major and mid-size iGaming businesses where hybrid is becoming standard (with fixed office days), on-site requirements are being reintroduced, and teams are being restructured around physical collaboration.
2025 has brought a return to pragmatic salary structuring, where offers are more conservative, and budgets are being held firm
And because employers hold the power in this market, these conditions are no longer up for debate.
Where a candidate once might have declined a non-remote role, they now accept that flexibility has limits and often choose to compromise rather than risk missing out on opportunities entirely.
AI shrinking
My previous article touched on AI beginning to shrink teams such as content and localisation. In 2025, these trends have accelerated. AI is reducing administrative workload in HR, CRM, marketing, customer support and BI & Outsourcing (especially HR, payroll, customer support, accounting and studio services) is now a core part of headcount strategy. This means that teams are becoming smaller but more specialised, with companies prioritising 'impact hires' over volume hiring.
This directly influences who holds the power: when roles can be automated or outsourced, employers have more leverage over remaining candidates.
While this market is tougher and far more competitive than previously, it's far from hopeless. The difference is that passivity no longer works as candidates must be intentional and strategic.
What's working for candidates now?
- Upskilling monthly, not yearly - especially in AI, data, compliance and product
- Being open to hybrid/on-site
- Demonstrating measurable impact (revenue growth, retention metrics, cost savings)
- Reducing salary inflexibility
- Networking more heavily than ever (the power of your personal brand)
- Building relationships with recruiters who understand the real market
The candidates who adapt will thrive. Those who rely on the conditions of 2020–2023 will struggle.
While employers hold the advantage, the smartest companies are careful not to overuse it. The market will swing again; it always does. Businesses that treat candidates well during employer-dominant periods enjoy long-term reputational benefits.
This means:
- Communicating clearly
- Moving processes efficiently
- Avoiding unnecessary interview rounds (anything more than three unless for super niche roles, is likely to be detrimental to the process)
- Creating realistic expectations
Maintaining competitive packages
- Power used responsibly becomes brand equity.
The iGaming talent landscape of 2025 is almost unrecognisable compared to just three years ago. After a decade of employee-led conditions, employers now hold nearly all the leverage - driven by market shifts, automation, consolidation and an oversupply of talent.
The question from my previous article was: Who holds the power? Today, the answer is clear: Right now, the power sits firmly with employers and the industry is reshaping itself around that reality.