Laid Off: From the Gambling Industry
"Outside of the industry, it seems like people don’t really value the experience since it’s such a niche and controversial space."
Laid Off is the coolest place on the internet to talk about being laid off.
In today’s issue, I talk to Hunter Hewitt, the former SEO strategist at Gambling.com Group, about breaking into the online gambling industry and navigating the stigma that comes with it.
Hunter Hewitt had been eyeing the online gambling industry for a while. In 2021, while working as a digital marketing manager at a Bay Area tech startup, he was constantly checking job boards looking for a way in.
When he spotted a tweet about an editor role, he jumped on it. The job paid less and came with a less flashy title, but he didn’t care.
“I knew I could work my way up in an industry that was really starting to boom,” Hunter said. “Several states were getting ready to legalize and launch online casinos, sports betting apps and more, and there were a lot of opportunities.”
He was right. By November 2021, he’d landed a Senior SEO Strategist role at Gambling.com Group. But in September 2024, after nearly three years at the company, he was laid off. His managers cited budget concerns and the company moving in a new direction.
“It’s been really tough, especially because it feels like most other non-gambling industry companies don’t want to hire me after I worked three years or so in the gambling industry, which is a bit controversial," Hunter said.
How did the company handle layoffs?
I came back from a weeklong vacation and that morning got an email invite for a meeting with the VP of my department, my manager’s manager. It was titled something like “Check-In” or “1-on-1” so I thought maybe it wasn’t a bad thing. As soon as I entered the Zoom meeting there was also an HR person in there. The VP told me right away, “today will be your last day, we are moving in a different direction,” and some other vague and generic statements. The HR person gave some info regarding severance and other procedural stuff. As soon as the meeting ended I was locked out of my Slack, email, etc. within about five minutes. I did not hear from my manager at all, and still haven’t to this day.
What was the first thing you did after receiving the news?
I had a few drinks and then went for a long walk with my dog. I’m definitely a crier sometimes but I was in such shock that I didn’t cry that day. I was more angry and confused, and in disbelief.
You said it's been tough finding a job coming from the gambling industry — what's that experience been like? Does it ever come up with hiring managers?
Outside of the industry, it seems like people don’t really value the experience since it’s such a niche and controversial space, and they think the SEO/marketing strategy won’t translate well to other industries like healthcare, tech, and other B2B businesses. I personally think it’s harder to have a successful SEO and content strategy within the gambling industry than any other industry I have been in, because it’s ultra competitive right now, and there are so many affiliate companies and casino/sportsbook operators fighting for top ranks. Rankings for top keywords change daily, often multiple times a day.
One hiring manager for an SEO job did ask about our strategy and mentioned that he read a lot about a controversial tactic called “Parasite SEO” in the gambling industry, and asked if that was something we did. It was something the company I worked for did, but not my specific department. I tried to clarify that, but I didn’t get the job and I wonder if that played a role.
Do you have peers/friends in the online gambling industry who are also struggling to find work? What're those conversations like?
Yes, several gambling affiliates and operators went through mass layoffs last year, and several people are struggling to find another job. Several sportsbook and casino operators also had to shut down, as they could not compete with the top brands like FanDuel and DraftKings, and very few states have recently legalized sports betting or online casinos.
A well-known guy in the industry, Dustin Gouker, created this Job Seekers Board for his old coworkers, and expanded it to others. He worked for one of the top affiliate companies for awhile, but eventually decided to leave and start his own Substack and brand. There are almost 200 people in his Job Seekers Board who were laid off over the last year or so. I hear similar frustrations from others, and many seem to have just lost hope of staying in the industry, and have moved on to other types of work.
What advice would you give someone thinking of joining the online gambling space or another industry viewed as controversial?
I would say don’t expect it to be a fun and easy job. Like I mentioned before, it’s very competitive, and if you’re not someone who has an established background within the specific industry, it’s going to be tough to get your foot in the door and quickly climb the ladder. You will likely have to start in a more entry level position, and put in a lot of work. You also have to always battle the potential guilt of promoting or marketing something that is very dangerous, and can be detrimental to people who become addicted. These companies make money when people continuously lose money, so it can sometimes feel like you are playing a part in the dangerous habit. I would also say don’t expect the company to be any less “corporate” than other types of jobs, as a lot of these companies are now publicly-traded on the stock market and have to deal with an advisory board that only cares about revenue and stock price. You now have to play the corporate politics game at most of these companies just like you would any other job.
Can you share a bit on your post-layoff job search?
For the first few months I really focused on staying in the industry, but there weren’t a lot of opportunities, and the few that I did pursue were often unable to hire in California, or decided to hire someone else with more experience. I shifted my focus to other industries after that, but have still struggled to land something. Like most people, I have submitted hundreds of applications, had dozens of interviews, and a bunch of tests/assessments, which are becoming the most frustrating part of all this. It’s like giving these companies free research and consulting, which they often use and implement on their website or product soon after, yet still not getting the job.
I’m trying to start taking new approaches, reaching out to friends and connections, and browsing different job sites. I’m also really trying to focus on my health, both mental and physical. I have started therapy, and I’m trying to get outside and exercise as much as possible.
You said there’s a lot to be desired in the interview process.
I’m sure some companies do a good job of treating people well, but it seems a majority are really missing the mark in so many ways, and people deserve better. Some processes take weeks and four to five interviews and a long assessment, and then you get false timelines or promises on when you’ll hear back.
I had one interview process in March where they said they’d update me by Monday, and to check in if I didn’t hear back. I checked in Monday. They got back to me the next day saying end of week, presumably Friday. I didn’t hear back until two weeks later. It was frustrating. There’s just so much stuff that I think companies should be better at, and I hope they focus more on treating people right.
Hunter is open to digital marketing, SEO, and content strategy roles across all industries. You can reach him on LinkedIn.
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Everything that we as humans have touched has been fraught with blessings and curses. We humans have choices, and this was his. I do not fault him, condemn him, persecute him. He did something that he wanted to do, it didn’t work out. He will move on to something better.
An addict is an addict. They loose part of themselves and it doesn’t come back, you get out of their way. I have lived with them for a long time. I also lived with people with severe mental illness. You can offer help but in the end in order to survive you sometimes have to walk away, no matter how much you love them. Eventually each one of has to own up and take responsibility for our actions and inactions. Your comment comes across as judgmental, and rather cruel, grace costs nothing.
With the advent of AI replacing our human endeavors things will get “interesting.” Be kind it’s rough and scary and there are no safety nets for many going through this.
It’s very hard for me to understand why you’d run willingly into an industry that exploits people.