10 Women Rising in Gaming
Nicole Russo
Company, position: Catena Media, Head of Inbound Marketing
Years of experience in the gaming industry: 8
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
What was your first job in the gaming industry? Did you have previous experience in other industries? What drew you to gaming?
My first job in the gaming industry was the Marketing and Promotions Manager for the World Series of Poker online poker product. It was a very fun, fast-paced first job in the industry and it was also a job I never thought I’d end up in. Just before securing that role, I was working as a physical therapy rehabilitation tech to get clinical hours for PA school. I quickly realized a career in medicine was not for me, but at the time, I had no idea where I would end up outside of the medical field. I had just graduated college, and besides my work study job and my time as a YMCA camp counselor, this was the only work experience I had. The summer was quickly approaching, as was the annual World Series of Poker tournament. Through a mutual connection, I found out that the WSOP’s summer marketing intern backed out of the role last minute and they were scrambling for a replacement. I decided this was my chance at a new adventure. I told them that I had an English degree, and although I knew nothing about poker, I could write an email without grammatical errors and get their messaging across effectively. They decided to take a chance on me, and apparently, they liked my email copy, because a few weeks later, I was offered my full-time role. I spent over three years learning the ins and outs of the online gambling industry with Caesars and the WSOP. It gave me such a great opportunity to learn multiple facets of the iGaming space, including email marketing, website copywriting, and responsible gambling policies. I also met some of my closest friends, who have become family, at that job, which is priceless. If you would have told me ten years ago that I would have a career in gambling, I would have called you crazy, but life has a funny way of surprising us.
Were you familiar with gambling, casinos, sports betting or any of the other facets of the industry before you started?
I grew up in Las Vegas, so I have always been around slot machines and sportsbooks, but I didn’t know a thing about gambling when I started out. I had never played a hand of poker, didn’t know what “plus money” meant when it came to sports betting, and had never put a dollar in a slot machine. I took a chance and figured I could learn along the way. Eight years later, I’ve written online poker newsletters, reviewed online gambling terms and conditions, hosted a sports betting prop bets show on Radio Row at the Super Bowl, and now I help develop online casino affiliate marketing plans. It hasn’t always been the easiest route. My Google search history was once full of things like “what is a bad beat?” and “what’s the difference between a big blind and small blind?”. There are so many amazing resources to learn about the industry now available, which should help make the leap into the gambling world a tad more seamless than my stumble into it years ago.
What do you like about working in gaming? What is it about the industry that keeps you engaged? What is unique about it?
The online gambling industry is always evolving, which makes it one of the most exciting industries to work in. When I started my career at WSOP, there weren’t a multitude of online sports betting apps, and online poker only existed in a handful of states. Within three years at Caesars, my small department expanded online poker through shared liquidity and helped bring Caesars Sportsbook to life after the repeal of PASPA in 2018. These evolutions are what have allowed me to be in the role that I am today. Without iGaming expansion, large North American online gambling affiliates like Catena Media wouldn’t have products to promote and send customers to. My company and my role in marketing have evolved alongside industry changes, and I know they will continue to. It’s exciting to know that the industry will look very different in five years than it does today. There is always a new challenge to face head on.
What advice do you have for women seeking careers in gaming?
My two main pieces of advice are to not be afraid of making a switch and to find someone who will be your mentor and champion. On the first point, just because you’ve always been in marketing or customer relations, doesn’t mean that’s where you must stay! It’s very rare that our jobs are one-dimensional. For example, in my previous brand manager role, I had responsibilities in copywriting, social media marketing, brand partnerships, and SEO. If there’s something out there that interests you but is different than what you’re doing now, go for it. See what skills you already have that can lend themselves well to the role you want and seek out opportunities to learn more. There are jobs in the gaming industry that didn’t even exist a few years ago, especially in online gaming. Most people in the industry are relatively new and are learning as they go, and so can you. It’s also extremely important to have someone in your corner who can give you honest, constructive feedback. Whether it is a boss, professional mentor, or someone in a career networking group, it’s important to have a person to bounce ideas off of and someone who will give you a nudge in the right direction. If you haven’t already, join a networking group like Global Gaming Women or see what resources are available at your job to connect with people that have been in the industry and can help answer your questions. My greatest career growth came when I was open and honest about what I wanted to do, where I wanted to be, and was able to express that to someone I trusted to steer me in the right direction. It’s hard to ask for help, but it’s worth it.
What do you wish you would have known starting out in gaming?
When I first started out, I wish I would have known just how small the gaming industry is. I was always so hesitant to join a networking group or volunteer for an external project because I thought I would never see those people again, so it didn’t matter. That couldn’t be further from the truth. This industry is smaller than it appears. You never know when you might run into someone again. I met a wonderful group of women at my first ever GGW education conference that I (finally) went to in 2018. After the conference we stayed in touch on LinkedIn and social media, and one day, four years later, I ran into one of the women at a gaming event. She had a new role in partnerships and was wondering if I could put her in contact with the right people at Catena to help get an affiliate deal done. By that night, we had all the right people communicating with one another and working on a potential deal. I looked like a rockstar, and that wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t put time into building my network. In this industry, you likely know somebody that knows somebody at the company you want to work for, or the company you want to work with. Sign up for the networking events, join coffee convo sessions at work, and attend team bonding events if you can. There’s a good chance some of the people you connect with will be a part of your career in the future when you least expect it.
