iGaming Hobby Study

Every year, the iGaming industry organizes hundreds of exhibitions, networking dinners, sponsorships, and client events. We meet people across the globe, but do we really know the people behind this business? We know their companies, we know their target markets, but we rarely know what inspires them outside of work.

If we understood our industry better, could we build more meaningful connections? Perhaps instead of another formal dinner, partners would prefer a morning hike. Or maybe the surge in padel tournaments is popular because it naturally aligns with the community's organic interests. Without this insight, companies might even be choosing the wrong client gifts simply because we do not know what people actually care about.

To fill this gap, Belatra Games and G&M News are launching a hobby study to understand what else unites industry employees besides business.

The findings are expected to help companies rethink networking formats, client experiences, event concepts, and corporate gifting by better understanding what truly interests the people behind the industry. Ultimately, mapping these personal interests allows for a more personalized, thoughtful approach to partner relations and community building.

The study invites developers, designers, marketers, analysts, and other specialists to share their hobbies, whether it is fishing, photography, yoga, padel, surfing, snowboarding, or any other passion outside of work.

The study will run from August 3 to August 12, with the final report scheduled for publication on 30 August. The report will reveal which hobbies are most popular among iGaming professionals, spotlight unusual interests within the sector, and look at new activities professionals want to explore.

The Companies Behind the Initiative

The G&M News portal is widely known for covering market trends, regulation, and business strategies. The media company strongly believes that the people shaping this business deserve equal focus, frequently publishing interviews and stories that highlight the human side of the iGaming industry.

This perspective is shared by Belatra Games, particularly represented through its character-based IP, The Guy. Featured in popular slot series like Blast the Bass, Ice Bass, and Hunt the Bucks, his character evolves through different hobbies, embodying a philosophy of curiosity and living in the moment.

"Together with our research partners, we believe that creativity does not start and end only at work. Personal interests often influence how people solve problems, generate ideas, and approach innovation — and this, among other things, makes iGaming the way we see it today and will see it in the future. By understanding what our colleagues live by outside the office, we can find new common ground and build relationships not just as business partners, but as like-minded people," says Marina Shafran, PR Manager at Belatra Games.

"G&M News is delighted to join forces with Belatra Games on this exciting and creative initiative. For the past seven years, through its exclusive 'Executive Hobby' section, G&M News has been exploring the 'other side' of executives in the sector. Understanding the hobbies, passions, and interests of those within the industry, as well as the players themselves, connects us and strengthens our commitment to responsible entertainment. We share Belatra Games' vision for this comprehensive survey and for developing engaging adventures like the Blast the Bass, Ice Bass, and Hunt the Bucks slot series. We eagerly await the survey results to discover the hobbies of iGaming executives," commented Roman Frymer, Co-Founder and Content Manager at G&M News.

Share your passions and help shape a more connected iGaming community. Take part in the study here.