Operations Manager (Ops Manager)
An Operations Manager in high-risk verticals keeps operations running smoothly: player or user verification, payments, support, and regulatory compliance, coordinating several departments.
What a Operations Manager does
The Operations Manager ensures that a high-risk business runs without disruption every day: funds are paid out on time, players or users pass verification, disputed cases are resolved within deadlines, and processes meet regulator and partner requirements. In betting, dating, and gambling, operations are more complex than in standard e-commerce because they include KYC, AML, geo restrictions, licensing conditions, and a high sensitivity to fraud.
Companies create this role because product and marketing teams grow fast and generate workload that no one is systematically controlling. The Operations Manager connects support, the risk team, finance, payment providers, and development, turning scattered tasks into clear procedures and SLAs. Without this role, growth runs into manual processes, ticket backlogs, and recurring incidents.
The role usually reports to the COO or the head of the business. The Operations Manager oversees support, verification, and sometimes payout teams, and coordinates work with the risk team and the payments department. In smaller companies, this person also takes on the functions of Head of Operations and is responsible for the entire post-registration user lifecycle.
Responsibilities
- Manage day-to-day operations: verification queues, payouts, request handling, and escalations, with SLA control for each area.
- Build and update standard operating procedures (SOPs) for support, verification, payouts, chargebacks, and disputed transactions.
- Coordinate with the risk and compliance teams on suspicious accounts, limits, and restrictions.
- Agree with payment providers on payout timelines, limits, and responses to blocks, and prepare escalations for disputed payments.
- Ensure compliance with regulator requirements and licensing conditions in operational processes, and prepare materials for audits.
- Plan staffing and shifts for operations teams based on request volume, seasonality, and launches of new products or geos.
- Analyze the root causes of recurring requests and incidents, and propose product improvements and automation.
- Manage the operating expense budget, including outsourced verification and external contractors.
- Prepare management reporting: queue status, SLA performance, losses caused by delays, incidents, and an improvement plan.
Skills
- Building operational processes and procedures with clear roles and control points.
- Managing teams on shifts under high workloads, and setting priorities in crisis situations.
- Understanding AML and KYC at the process level: what is checked, at which stage, and who makes the decision.
- Working with metrics and data: reading dashboards, finding bottlenecks in the funnel, and forming hypotheses.
- Negotiating with payment providers, partners, and internal departments, including in conflict situations.
- Managing contractors and outsourcing: setting tasks, monitoring quality, and revising SLA-based contracts.
- Basic understanding of payment schemes, chargebacks, and refunds, including timelines and grounds for disputes.
- Documenting decisions and communicating with regulators and auditors without unnecessary detail.
Tools
- Jira or a similar task tracker for queues, escalations, and SLAs.
- Helpdesk systems (Zendesk, Freshdesk, or internal equivalents) for handling requests.
- BI tools and SQL for operational data exports and dashboards.
- Google Sheets and Notion or Confluence for procedures, registers, and shift calendars.
- Payment system back offices and KYC or AML screening systems.
- Internal CRM and back-office tools where player or user statuses are recorded.
How performance is measured
- Average processing time for verification and payouts in line with SLA.
- Share of requests closed on time and number of escalations per unit of volume.
- Number of incidents and repeat contacts caused by the same reason.
- Share of payouts delayed due to operational causes, and the average amount of such delays.
- Compliance with procedures and results of internal and external audits without critical findings.
- Operating cost per processed case or user.
By vertical
Betting
In betting, the Operations Manager most often oversees bet payouts, disputed settlements, customer verification, and work with licensing requirements on responsible gambling and limits.
Dating
In dating, the focus shifts to profile moderation, user verification, fighting fake profiles and fraud, and handling complaints and safety issues, with metrics tied to user trust.
Gambling
In online casinos, the role includes payout control, KYC and AML, work with payment providers and crypto, and coordination with risk on multi-accounting and bonus abuse.
Levels
Management
At the management level, the Operations Manager is responsible for the entire operations function, manages department heads and the budget, agrees on changes with the COO or business owner, and is accountable for results before regulators and partners.
How to get there
Most people move into operations management from support, verification, back office, payment operations, or the risk team, where they already work with procedures and queues. It is important to have experience handling high request volumes and the ability to describe processes. Experience leading a team or shifts is valued more than knowledge of a specific product.
To prepare, it is worth learning the basic processes of high-risk verticals: KYC, AML, payment schemes, chargebacks, and dispute management. It helps to write down a process you know well as a procedure with SLAs and metrics. Such a document often matters more than certificates in an interview.
Growth usually comes through expanding areas of responsibility: from one process to several, then to managing a team and a budget. To grow, it helps to speak in numbers, propose automation, and build working relationships with risk, finance, and product.
Next steps: Head of Operations, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Head of Payments Operations, Head of Risk Operations, Head of Player Care or Head of Trust and Safety
FAQ
Who is an Operations Manager in gambling and betting?
This is a manager who oversees the daily operational processes: verification, payouts, request handling, and compliance with regulator requirements. They connect support, risk, payments, and product into a single workflow.
How does an Operations Manager differ from a support manager?
A support manager is responsible for the quality of customer communication and first-line work. An Operations Manager is responsible for the entire process, including verification, payouts, procedures, and interaction with other departments.
Is knowledge of legislation required for this role?
A deep legal education is usually not required, but it is important to understand which processes are regulated and why. Legal questions are handled by compliance, while the Operations Manager must be able to put requirements into practice and document them.
What determines an Operations Manager's income?
Income depends on company size, the number of verticals and geos, the volume of operations, and the level of responsibility for budget and team. Experience in risk-related processes also matters significantly.
What education is needed for this role?
There is usually no formal requirement. Employers tend to focus on practical experience in managing processes, working with data, and understanding operational risks.
Looking for a job in the industry?
Post an anonymous resume in our bot — recruiters from iGaming, payments and crypto search it every day.