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Because I’m always moaning on LinkedIn, people seem to think I know what I’m talking about. As a result, they often ask for advice on how they can also become noisy social media irritants. [Talented writers of gambling content, surely? – Ed.]
Since nobody ever offers to pay for this wisdom – not that I’m bitter, or anything – here’s a completely free guide to getting started as an iGaming writer.
But before I get into the “how”, let’s first make sure we understand the “what”.
What Exactly is an iGaming Writer?
I think we can safely assume everyone knows what a writer is. To be clear, though, “iGaming” refers to the online gambling industry.
I don’t write about video games, for instance. That’s a common mistake made by those unfamiliar with the term. However, if the content is about gambling on such games, that’s different. Esports betting certainly falls into the category of iGaming.
More typically, though, it means internet casinos, sportsbooks and poker sites. I’ve written about lotteries and bingo, but the bulk of the job is casino and betting content.
What Does an iGaming Writer Actually Do?
All kinds of things, honestly. Every client has their own requirements. You might be asked to write social media posts, for example. That’s not a service I provide, as I don’t enjoy it and it’s not my strongest suit. But it’s definitely a thing.
Similarly, I’ve been asked to write scripts for those AI videos you see on social media, or where influencer types share tips. Again, this isn’t the type of work I enjoy – but if the channel is about gambling, script writing fits into the iGaming niche.
Site Reviews
Niche projects aside, the bulk of my time as an iGaming writer is spent on site reviews. Mostly casino, then sportsbook, with a few poker platform reviews thrown in for good measure.
These briefs vary wildly. Clients may want very short reviews – less than 1,000 words, in some cases. A figure in the region of 2,000 words is more common, but I’ve worked on casino reviews as long as 5,000 words in the past.
Game Guides
As well as reviewing gambling sites, iGaming writers often assess specific games. Slots are by far the most common, but I’ve reviewed live casino games, crash games and even online scratch cards.
Reviews usually require you to present a personal opinion. Did you enjoy it? What did you enjoy? How would you rate it out of ten? But sometimes it’s much more – you might need to provide detailed explanations of the rules, and possibly even strategy advice, for instance.
Blog Posts and Website Content
I haven’t seen many requests for website content in recent years – I guess most sites handle that in-house now. But in my early days, I explained various esports betting markets for Parimatch. That content was placed at the foot of the odds pages.
Blog posts are likely to make up a big chunk of your day-to-day life as an iGaming writer. Whether it’s a gambling brand advertising new games and promotions, or an affiliate marketer trying to rank for keywords, someone needs to produce that content.
Other iGaming Content
Literally anything to do with gambling falls under this umbrella. This website, for example, publishes news stories, interviews with industry figures, and even analysis of betting markets. All of this is produced by a team of iGaming writers.
Getting Started – Basic Requirements
So, what do you need to get started as an iGaming writer? Well, you’ll obviously need a computer. A second screen is nice to have – it makes research a lot easier – but it’s not essential.
Some clients like you to use Microsoft Word, so you should probably have that installed. But I do almost all of my work in Google Docs, which lets you export files as both Word documents and PDFs. You don’t have to be permanently connected to the internet to use it.
I would strongly discourage you from using AI to research gambling topics, as it’s famously unreliable. However, if you insist, it should be a paid-for subscription to a tool like Perplexity, which lets you choose between multiple LLMs and different research modes. Free models are a complete waste of time.
Writing Fundamentals
I can help you get started in the gambling industry, but I can’t teach you how to write. Without that, it doesn’t matter how experienced or knowledgeable you are – you can’t articulate your thoughts clearly.
If you haven’t yet mastered the fundamentals, get practicing. There’s a wealth of free courses, videos and tutorials out there to get started, but there’s no substitute for putting in the work. Start a blog. Join Medium. Participate in Reddit communities. Take every opportunity to write.
Gambling Experience
This is a hotly-debated topic among iGaming writers, but I’m of the opinion that gambling experience is a massive advantage. As a gambler of 20+ years, I can spot someone who’s not a mile away.
If you’re faking it, it’s very obvious, very quickly – and that’s a problem. I’m not interested in your opinion of a sportsbook platform if you’ve never placed a bet. I’m not going to take strategy advice from someone who’s never played poker.
On top of that, selling a product really helps if you are the target demographic. You’re already in the mind of the user. It helps you know what to look for, and what to prioritise.
Industry Experience
I’d go even further, too – industry experience is an even bigger boon. I don’t see many bookmaker reviews breaking down the margins of key markets, for instance. But as a former odds compiler, that’s the first thing I want to know about with a new sportsbook.
Now, I’m not suggesting you can’t have an opinion on slots unless you’ve literally built a slot machine. I’m just saying, whatever experience you have does help. Prospective clients take you more seriously. Readers are more inclined to listen. And you may find more valuable angles than a generalist writer.
SEO Knowledge
This is less important, as you can learn it on the job. Personally, I didn’t know anything about SEO when I started. But anything you can bring to the table from day one gives you a head start.
Over the years, I picked things up from clients with amazing SEO teams. As I became more interested in the subject, I started reading and following more experts online. I now know enough to advise clients in that area, which secures repeat business and new opportunities.
Freelance Writer vs. Employee
People often ask how to start working as an iGaming writer, but it mostly depends on whether or not you want a full-time job. Pitching clients for short-term projects is very different to applying and interviewing for a salaried position.
Personally, I’d recommend the freelance approach. It gives you the freedom to live life around your work, but I also just find it more exciting. As someone who gets bored easily, I don’t mind if a project wraps up after a few months, as I can jump to something else.
Freelancing is also a great way to increase your rates more quickly. And it makes dealing with problematic clients much easier.
But it does also mean a lack of job security. I understand that my approach isn’t for everyone – especially where kids, elderly relatives or medical bills are involved.
Writing Rates
If you do pick the freelancing path, rates can vary wildly. As a complete beginner, you might need to swallow your pride initially, just to get something in your portfolio.
But once you have some social proof – a testimonial for your website, or a five-star review on a freelancing platform – it becomes easier to attract clients. Depending on experience, ability, and the work involved, you could be offered anything from US $0.01 to $0.20 per word for iGaming content.
How to find clients as an iGaming Writer
If you’ve chosen the employee path, finding a job is much the same as any other career. But if freelancing is your preference, you’ll probably want to know how to find clients. So let’s dig into that.
Freelancing Platforms
Sites like Upwork and Fiverr used to be amazing, but now they’re terrible. I don’t recommend staying on them for very long, but they’re ideal for beginners to get started.
Some of these platforms are relatively passive, like Fiverr. Leave your gigs up and clients can search and pay for them. But platforms like Upwork let you scroll through clients who are actively searching for writers.
Whichever you prefer – and you can use both – create a free account, spy on your competitors and copy the most successful iGaming writers. By that, I mean their profile layout, keywords, this type of thing. Don’t copy word for word, or you won’t stand out. A unique voice is your biggest weapon in a crowded marketplace.
Cold Outreach
Take the time to research marketing agencies, gambling brands and iGaming sites. Check their websites for email addresses or contact forms, and pitch them.
A short email is all that’s required – don’t intimidate them with War and Peace. Explain you’re looking for work as an iGaming writer, tell them your rate and send examples of your writing. Follow up periodically, but track messages in a spreadsheet so you don’t spam.
Pro tip: if you can find something wrong with their existing content, highlight it in the pitch. Demonstrate how you can immediately help solve a problem and show your worth.
Pro tip 2: try to find a company decision maker on LinkedIn. Connect with them and warm them up, instead of pitching completely cold.
Building Your Brand
This won’t yield instant results – it’s more of a slow burner towards future success. But you need some kind of website, where you host a portfolio and advertise your services.
Freelancing platforms are a good start, but they’re faceless. I won’t buy from you if I don’t trust you. And I can’t trust you if I can’t see you.
In addition to a website, I suggest getting busy on LinkedIn. It’s somewhere else to post testimonials from happy clients, and another form of social proof – “okay, this guy really is a human being that writes about gambling”. But above all, it’s a great place to source leads.
It’s literally a professional networking website. Every iGaming marketer, agency and entrepreneur – all of your future employers – is on there touting for business. Why aren’t you?
Get a Portfolio
I’ve mentioned the word “portfolio” a few times already. This is absolutely essential, as it showcases your ability to write. Nobody’s going to hire you without first seeing what you’re capable of, and not every client has time to run trials.
Don’t Overthink It
Most new iGaming writers I’ve encountered overthink the portfolio. They don’t want to spend money on a website, or find the whole thing intimidating, so they just never get around to it. Some complain that all the work they’ve done was ghostwritten, so they’ve nothing to point to.
It’s true that many iGaming clients publish your work under someone else’s name. But unless you’ve signed a legal agreement, there shouldn’t be an issue with showing it to a prospective client. Have you tried asking the content owner for permission? Most of the time, they couldn’t care less.
If the new client doesn’t believe you wrote it, there’s nothing you can do. But it’s no great loss. Do you really want to work with clients who won’t trust you on the smallest of issues?
No excuses
Just get a portfolio together, even if it looks crap. My first portfolio was a link to a Google Doc with a few screenshots of other Google Docs, Word files and websites. I put a few bullet points of explanation under each one.
It looked terrible. But it kept landing me jobs until I had enough money to fund a website. You can also use a variety of online tools now, including Authority. Some are even free.
Need to Know Info for New iGaming Writers
We’re nearly there, but there’s still a few more things to know if you’re going to become a successful iGaming writer.
The Affiliate Business Model
Much of what you’ll be working on as an iGaming writer is affiliate marketing content. If you don’t know what that is, I suggest you read up before getting involved. The short version is this – your client is being paid to promote brands.
Some affiliates want honest reviews of casinos and games, but others will be perfectly happy to bend the truth. You may be asked to tell outright lies, or at least gloss over glaring negatives.
Personal Integrity
I’m not suggesting affiliates are somehow evil and immoral. If I thought that, I wouldn’t do what I do. But it’s an important consideration – the content you create has an impact on people’s lives. It’s influential. Remember that every time you put proverbial pen to paper.
We can discuss ethics all day. There are people who feel it’s wrong to promote a gambling business at all – you can’t win with those guys. But some things are obviously immoral, and I’d encourage you to think twice before getting involved.
For example, you won’t catch me writing articles whose keywords are very obviously targeting problem gamblers. Things like “casinos not on GAMSTOP” – GAMSTOP is the UK’s national self-exclusion program.
Regulatory Compliance
There are rules and regulations dictating what you can and can’t say when writing iGaming content, and these vary by jurisdiction. I’d recommend doing your research when accepting a new client who’s targeting a region you’ve never worked in before.
Ultimately, what the client publishes is their responsibility. If they’re breaking the rules, unwittingly or otherwise, it’s their own fault. However, you should be properly equipped to advise a client who’s about to commit a regulatory mistake.
Reputational Damage
Finally, it’s important to protect your own reputation from a quality perspective, not just an ethical one. Be careful which projects you accept – particularly if you’re ghostwriting.
There’s an abundance of low-quality content mills out there. You don’t want your name attached to misleading, incorrect and potentially harmful content. But nor do you want to be associated with content that’s badly written and full of grammatical errors. That’s a great way to cost yourself future clients.
Over to You
There’s only so much advice I can give, so now it’s over to you. Be warned, though – this isn’t the best time to be starting out.
In recent months, we’ve seen large iGaming affiliates close their doors and lay dozens, if not hundreds, of writers and editors off. There are more of us than ever competing for the same jobs – and not just with our fellow humans, but also AI.
That’s not to say you can’t be successful, of course. But it would be irresponsible of me to suggest it will be easy for a brand new iGaming writer in the current climate.
With that final warning issued, I wish you the best of luck.
