Denisa Vydumova: "We are not trying to promote gaming to people who don’t play the games of chance"

Content & PR Specialist at Casino Guru, Denisa Vydumova writes for a variety of projects at Casino Guru. She started her career at Casino Guru as a college student, and after completing her master's degree, she became a full-time member of the Content Team and PR Team.

In this interview, Denisa talked about what it’s like to craft content for Casino Guru and walked us through the other major projects she’s involved in, including the All Things Gambling webinar and Casino Guru Insiders, the series of interviews you are reading right now.

Denisa is usually responsible for conducting Casino Guru Insiders interviews, but this time around, her colleague Daniela Sliva asked her questions, and she got to be on the other side of the fence. How did she do?

Read on to learn more.

Q: Denisa, it’s nice to have you here. What does it feel like to be a respondent rather than the person asking questions for a change?

It feels different, like I am someone quite important right now. [laughter] I expected to be nervous, but so far so good. It's definitely a good experience to switch roles and see what it's like to be the person with the answers. I hope it helps me with my next interviews.

Q: So, let’s stick with your interviews for now. For example, when conducting interviews for Casino Guru Insiders, what is your approach to making colleagues feel comfortable and open? Do you have any tips for me?

You’re doing great right now, don’t worry! I guess my answer is that I try to be as comfortable and open as possible during interviews. I adapt to the needs of my respondents. It comes naturally to me to mirror them, and I believe they respond positively to that.

Q: Good to know! Now, what kind of professional background did you have before joining us, and what led you to work in the iGaming industry?

Before I joined Casino Guru, I studied journalism at university. I came across Casino Guru completely by accident; I even originally applied for another position on the Content Team. However, after the interview, it became clear that the role of Content Specialist would be a better fit for me.

Basically, my colleagues from the Content and PR Team saw something promising in me and gave me the opportunity to improve as a part-timer while I was still at school. After graduating, I started working at Casino Guru full-time. The fact that we operate in the field of iGaming was initially secondary to me, and I accepted the job offer with an open mind.

Q: And what are your personal goals as a Content Specialist? How do you see your role with Casino Guru evolving from now on?

My goal is to avoid stagnation and avoid getting to the point where I am convinced that what I do is flawless, and at the same time, the only correct way of communicating things. On the other hand, someday I'd like to put something out there that hasn't been tipple-checked by my colleagues because they don't need to because it's so good and thorough.

For the time being, however, I like the way things are. All the content I write is triple-checked by multiple pairs of eyes, and all possible ways to get our point across are always on the table, openfor discussion.

So, to sum it up, although I don't have a 5-year plan, my priority is to improve, try new things and learn from experts. I hope that the growth and development of my position will come gradually.

Q: I imagine your workload can be very diverse. Could you walk us through a typical day in your role as a Content Specialist?

You’re right, it varies greatly depending on what I am currently working on, the priorities, the deadlines, and so on. But there are, of course, tasks that I am in charge of and must complete on a daily basis, such as proofreading articles, fine-tuning the content on the Casino Guru website, or writing content from scratch, such as for our ZOOMin. I'm also involved in our social media posts creation.

Additionally, I take care of Casino Guru Insiders, conducting interviews, recording and transcribing them. And from time to time, I have to prepare our All Things Gambling webinar or check the subtitles for our video content on Casino Guru News.

To some extent, I am also part of the preparation for the Casino Guru Awards and other projects, bigger and smaller. And, while I usually know what's on my agenda for the next day, there's always something unexpected.

Q: Could you share with us a particularly memorable or challenging project you’ve worked on at Casino Guru?

Basically, everything that happened during my first year at Casino Guru was both memorable and challenging at the same time. Whether we're talking about the first international conference where we recorded live interviews, or the second, or the third. [laughter]

There is a lot to mention, as all of my work experience comes from working for Casino Guru. I tried a lot of things for the first time here. Those are the things you won't forget, and as you might expect, it's difficult to choose which one stands out the most. Plus, my memory doesn't serve me very well. [laughter]

So right now, the most memorable project I am working on is improving what appears to be infinite content for Casino Guru page, meaning updating and rewriting a lot of it. Simultaneously, I'm working closely with the PR team on producing more video content than we've ever done before, which is pretty exciting.

Q: Now let's move on to the specific processes you must follow in your work. How do you ensure that the Casino Guru content remains accurate, particularly in a highly regulated industry like gambling?

At Casino Guru, we have amazing gambling experts who cover almost every aspect of online gambling. My strategy is to seek their advice, particularly on some complex issues that are beyond my scope.

At the same time, I try to learn as much as I can on my own. On that note, every single course at the Casino Guru Academy has been a huge help.

Aside from that, it also helps that remaining factually accurate is very high on our list of priorities, so our workflow develops accordingly. What I'm trying to say is that I have both the time and the resources to ensure the accuracy of our content.

Finally, I'd also like to point out the teamwork and diligence of everyone at Casino Guru as a huge part of our quality content that brings value to our visitors. If one of us notices an error, we don't keep it to ourselves. And no problem is too insignificant for us to address.

Q: That’s great. And on the other hand, how important would you say storytelling is in your work, and how do you apply it in articles or interviews?

That depends on the type of articles we're talking about. I believe that storytelling is essential in more informal articles or social media posts. And by storytelling, I mean the use of suitable, image-creating sentences and structures that evokethe same level of understanding in the reader as I hope to achieve.

However, our Casino Guru content is generally very informative. We are cautious about how we inform our visitors about the gambling industry. We are not trying to promote gaming to people who would not normally play the gamesof chance; rather, we push forward a certain amount of objectivity and efficiency, while trying to communicate something worthwhile to players.

Q: We know that you also moderate the All Things Gambling webinar. How do you ensure that the debate is smooth and insightful, especially when dealing with potentially controversial topics?

Maybe it's just me, but none of our webinar topics have struck me as controversial so far. We simply try to make them interesting and allow people to express themselves.

Probably the most significant advantage is the excellent, patient, and willing people with whom I had the chance to speak. They are individuals who contribute knowledge, experience, and relevant opinions to our webinar.

To make the process go smoothly, I work with my colleagues on questions, visuals, and the best possible approach, and I try not to leave anything to chance, though God knows I don't always succeed. [laughter]

Q: What are the most rewarding and challenging aspects of moderating this show?

The most rewarding? Definitely people. Also, to be completely honest, I feel like I improved and became more comfortable with each episode of All Things Gambling, including live interviews on camera. That’s very rewarding, since it requires a completely different skill set than what is typically expected of me, and I've learned a lot.

However, the most difficult part is definitely catching a glimpse of myself in that small frame on the computer screen during the online webinar. I truly need to stop playing with my hair. [laughter]

Q: If you had to sum it up, what skills or competencies have been most crucial for success in your line of work?

I would say a soft spot for the written word. The willingness to discuss even the smallest distinction in meaning between "affect" and "effect," or when to use a dash or a colon, and so on. Without it, I doubt I'd be able to handle the kind of workload that the Content Team at Casino Guru deals with every day.

It was also important for me to understand that we are creating content for a website, and that the overall look of the text is just as important as the content. Sounds straightforward, I know, but it’s often not. Every character counts when you’re creating content for design and graphics.

And of course, we have to take SEO standards and practices into account. So, there is a lot to look out for in every sentence we send out into the world.

Plus, the ability to be adaptable is highly valued, as our Content Team frequently switches from one text to a completely different text, and from task to task. It suits me, but it may not be for everyone.

Q: Last but not least, what’s your favorite part of your job, and what keeps you motivated?

What I like most about my job is its diversity. I never get bored, even if I wanted to. I enjoy that I often have to step outside of my comfort zone to do my job well. The advantage is, of course, that I have people around me that I can rely on.

And the one thing that motivates me the most in my work is likely to be very similar to the motivation of every writer who, quite literally, has tosign their name under their work. I simply don’t want to create anything of poor quality.

This interview is part of Casino Guru Insiders, a series of interviews during which experts from Casino Guru share their unique workflow, reveal insider information, and offer an exclusive overview of experience-packed know-how.