In iGaming, creativity often gets the spotlight — the games, the mechanics, the visuals, the ideas. But behind every successful studio sits a quieter force: the ability to balance ambition with discipline. In this episode, Marharyta Yerina, Managing Director at ELA Games, explained how her financial background became the foundation for leading a creative company without limiting its imagination.

Her story is a reminder that iGaming doesn’t thrive on creativity alone. It thrives on structure, clarity, and the courage to make decisions that serve the long game.

Marharyta didn’t plan to enter iGaming. She joined a company providing services to a game studio, preparing financial reports — until curiosity pulled her deeper. She wanted to understand how the product worked, how decisions were made, and how financial insight could shape something bigger than spreadsheets.

That curiosity eventually led her into the studio itself, where she built her own team and grew into leadership. Today, she runs ELA Games with a mindset shaped by numbers but guided by people.

Her financial background gives her an advantage many creative‑first leaders don’t have: the ability to see the whole picture. She reads trends, understands risk, and makes decisions based on long‑term impact rather than short‑term excitement. In an industry where ideas come fast and costs rise even faster, that balance is essential.

iGaming moves quickly — regulations shift, technology evolves, and player expectations change overnight. For Marharyta, the biggest challenge isn’t the pace itself, but keeping the team aligned while the world around them moves.

Flexibility is necessary. But so is direction.

She describes her role as a constant exercise in prioritisation. There are always new features, new markets, new ideas. The hard part is choosing what actually moves the business forward. Creativity without focus becomes chaos. Focus without creativity becomes stagnation. Leadership is the space between the two.

Every studio knows the tension: creative teams want freedom, finance teams want control. One side dreams big, the other calculates risk. Marharyta has lived on both sides — and she believes alignment starts with transparency.

Creative teams need to understand why certain constraints exist. Finance teams need to understand the value of experimentation, even when ROI isn’t immediate. Shared goals help both sides move from “no” to “how do we make this work.”

She also believes in “bridge roles” — people who understand both worlds and can translate between them. But above all, alignment comes from trust. When teams trust that their work matters and that decisions serve a shared vision, collaboration becomes natural.

Many iGaming CEOs come from product or tech backgrounds. But Marharyta believes finance leaders bring something uniquely powerful: the ability to balance risk and opportunity.

Finance teaches you to think strategically, plan for multiple scenarios, and understand how every decision affects the entire business. A good CFO doesn’t just manage numbers — they work across departments, understand how everything connects, and see the company as a living system.

That cross‑functional understanding becomes invaluable in leadership. It allows you to scale responsibly, make decisions with clarity, and guide teams through uncertainty.

One of the most overlooked truths in iGaming is that early success can hide deeper problems. High revenue doesn’t mean stability. Cash flow issues, regulatory changes, or poor cost control can turn a strong year into a crisis.

Marharyta’s advice is simple: prepare for multiple scenarios. Have plan A, B, and C. Growth without a financial strategy isn’t growth — it’s a risk.

At ELA Games, financial strategy isn’t about cutting costs. It’s about prioritising, staying focused, and investing time, talent, and budget where they create real value. Every operational and product decision is viewed through both a creative and financial lens.

Despite her financial background, Marharyta refuses to lead from a distance. She stays close to the teams, attends creative sessions, walks around the office, and listens to what people are experiencing day‑to‑day.

Reports show numbers. Conversations show reality.

She didn’t move into leadership to manage financials — she moved into leadership to shape the business. Staying close to the people building it is part of the job.

For Marharyta, high‑performing teams share three traits: clarity, motivation, and trust. People need to understand why their work matters, feel recognised for their contributions, and know they can rely on each other when things change — because in iGaming, things always change.

Hard skills matter. But culture is what keeps a team moving through uncertainty.

Two trends are on her radar: the rise of land‑based inspired mechanics and the rapid acceleration of AI in game art and production. Both offer opportunity — but only if studios stay unique. Trends help you stay relevant. Identity helps you stay competitive.