Gibraltar News

Gib Jobs for the Boys
Recent statistics released by the Gibraltar government served to confirm what most of us had known for years; that Gibraltarians are in a minority amongst employees of Gibraltar's gaming industry. The 19 gaming firms that operate from the Rock employ a total of 1,803 employees; a massive figure given that Gibraltar's population is somewhere in the region of 25,000. This is more than a 10 percent increase from survey results released last year and proves that the industry continues to grow at a extremely fast pace.

The statistics yield some other interesting results. For example, the vast majority of gaming company employees (868 of them) are British non-Gibraltarians. This is consistent with the widely-held view that the industry is largely controlled by British expatriates who have relocated to Gibraltar or those who live in nearby Spain and for whom the English-speaking colony is the obvious place to seek employment. This group not only includes employees in specialist and niche areas, but also those who have been attracted to Gibraltar by the quality of life on offer and have taken low-end jobs in the sector as a means to this end.

There are also 98 Spaniards who work in the gaming industry in Gibraltar. The Rock has long enjoyed the presence of a substantial Spanish workforce, but it is fascinating to note a shift in the trend from largely manual labourers to educated professionals. With many gaming firms now operating in Spain and Latin America, the need for native Spanish speakers has increased the need for firms to look across the border to staff their call centres. In addition, for professionals working in areas such as IT in nearby Spain, the appeal of Gibraltar with its higher wages and better working conditions is too much for many to resist.

With the exception of locals, the remaining gaming industry employees on the Rock (477 of them) include individuals from practically every corner of the globe. There are notable populations from Israel, Antigua, and South Africa as well as virtually every European country represented. This is proof indeed of the melting pot of nations that Gibraltar has become in recent years and a result of the gaming industry's proliferation there.

Overall though, these statistics are most notable when contrasted with areas of Gibraltar's financial centre. For example, there are 15 banks employing 780 members of staff on the Rock and almost two-thirds of these are local. Similarly more than half of those working in Gibraltar's insurance sector are Gibraltarians. This is in sharp contrast to the gaming industry where less than one-fifth (360 of the 1803) of gaming company employees are Gibraltarian.

So despite the successes experienced by Gibraltar's gaming industry it appears that many Gibraltarians are not massively overcome with the idea of working within the sector. Perhaps they lack confidence in the gaming industry's long-term permanency on the Rock and opt instead for the relative job security of the public sector or more established industries like banking. These attitudes will likely change as gaming becomes more and more of a part of daily life on the Rock. Until then Gibraltar will continue to happily welcome workers from the UK, Spain, and anywhere else in the world to fill these roles.

Ladbrokes to Launch Sportium Brand
There have been numerous reports recently in the Spanish media about the proposed launch of a new Spanish sports-betting brand. Sportium, a joint venture between Ladbrokes of the UK and CIRSA, a leading Spanish gaming and leisure group, is due to begin trading in Madrid this year and analysts are already forecasting a turnover of €80 million for its first year.

The business, which will initially operate out of bingo halls and recreational arcades in Madrid, is set to take advantage of the largely untapped Spanish sports betting market but may eventually move into telephone or internet betting if the initial venture is a success. Gaming regulations in Spain are currently undergoing dramatic revision and Sportium will be well placed to take advantage of any changes to the law. With Ladbrokes International Ltd. based in Gibraltar, it will be interesting to see how much of Sportium's Spanish operation will be run from the Rock.

Tristan Cano lives and writes about the gaming industry in Gibraltar.