Casino gaming industry workers may:

Exchange paper money for playing chips or tokens

Casino employees work in clean, well-lighted and ventilated surroundings. They are required to conform to strict dress codes. They work under pressure to calculate odds and are under constant monitoring from supervisors. They are also subject to stress from patrons who may be unruly after drinking alcoholic beverages and losing money. Casino employees must know how to handle difficult people.

Blackjack games have extra dealers to make sure that the blackjack dealers have 20 minute breaks every hour because the game is so intense. It may be noisy because of the crush of patrons and bets being called out. Dealers must keep focusing on the action of the game. These factors make the work exciting to some dealers. Dealers must also stand continuously facing the table, to prevent employee and customer theft. Craps is the most complicated dice game on the floor. Each crap game requires three dealers and a supervisor called a "box person" who guards the chips, resolves any conflicts and keeps a close eye on what is a fast and furious game. The stickperson who is the most skilled dealer at the crap game, calls the bets and moves the dice with along stick, retrieving the dice and returning them for the next roll. Other dealers place and pay bets.

If a customer does not have the cash to play but wants the casino to extend credit, the casino may issue large markers or counter checks. The credit operations are managed by a "cage" cashier. Cashiers are supervised by Cage Supervisors and Cage Managers.

Floor persons supervise the dealers and in turn, they are supervised by Pit Managers or "Pit Bosses". Shift managers are in-between these two classifications and are in charge of the table games operations. Depending on the size of the casino, shift managers may "float" to relieve other managers. One step higher is the Casino Manager who is typically in charge of the entire Gaming Operations (floor plus slot machine operations). Casino Managers may also be called the Vice-President of Slot Operations or Gaming Operations. At the highest level is the President, CFO or CEO.

This is not a 9 to 5 job. Most casinos are open 24 hours. Employees are required to work shifts and weekends. The pay is typically higher than in other industries to compensate for these factors. Turnover can be high, but this turnover does create opportunities for others to move up to higher paying positions. The higher managerial levels do not tend to have as much turnover. There are some physical stresses due to long standing and repetitive wrist motions from continued card dealing.

What kind of skills do you need for jobs on the casino floor? You need the three "M's", Memory, Math and Manual Dexterity. You need MATH to perform quick addition and calculate odds and MEMORY to remember which bets have been placed. You also need MANUAL DEXTERITY to shuffle cards, dole out chips in a neat, consistent manner. In addition, you need to be a "people" person, capable of a high level of customer service, tact and an ability to put patrons at ease, even if they are losing money.

You Should Prefer:

• Activities of an accommodating nature

• Dealing directly and communicating with people

• Having business and contact with people

• Performing repetitive tasks

• Influencing people in their opinions, attitudes and judgments

You Should Be Able To:

• Perform effectively under pressure or stress

• Make evaluations based on sensory criteria

• Perform math quickly and precisely, if a dealer

• Evaluate information-using standards

Math Problem You Should Be Able to Solve

Red chips = $1 Blue chips = $5 White chips = $10

A $16 bet pays 3:1 odds. How many of each chip are paid out?

Reading Example You Should Be Able to Read and Comprehend:

You must be able to read and understand written instructions that may explain special promotions or events occurring during your shift.

Writing Example You Should Be Able to Produce:

A guest at your table in the casino is disruptive and is escorted out by the security offices. After the disturbance is resolved, you may have to write a report providing details of the incident.

Thinking Skill You Should Be Able to Demonstrate:

You should be able to demonstrate analytical skills in observing the conditions around you and knowing when to notify a supervisor.

NOTE: On-the-job training by the employer or a High School Diploma or Equivalent of a High School Diploma with specific vocational Education Classes may qualify a person for some of these occupations.

The following education and preparation opportunities are helpful in preparing for occupations in this Career Exploration Script:

***SCHOOL SUBJECTS***  

0600 BUSINESS , 0700 CAREERS , 0900 COMMUNICATIONS , 1000 COMPUTERS , 2200 MATH , 3300 TECHNOLOGY

***VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS***

There are no Vocational Education Programs related to this Career Exploration Script.

***POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS***

065 FOOD & BEVERAGE PREPARATION

080 HOTEL & RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT

003 ADVERTISING/PUBLIC RELATIONS 

Experience may be gained through summer or part-time work as housekeeping workers, desk clerks, maintenance workers, cashiers, bell-hops or bartenders. Becoming a dealer is the most common entry-level job on the casino floor. Skills as a teller or cashier do transfer to the gaming floor occupations because of the quick and accurate money counting skills necessary.

            School-to-Work opportunities include:

informal apprenticeships

mentorships

job shadowing experiences

touring a casino employer

internships

participate in school or community activities

When a casino opens initially, it needs many dealers. These applicants benefit from short courses in dealer training. For high level jobs it may be helpful to have a bachelor's degree in Accounting, Hotel & Restaurant management, or Casino management. Some employees, however, work their way up to management from casino game positions.

Casinos do hire many people that are not directly involved in gaming, especially if the casino is also a hotel. Casinos and their hotels need chefs, food and beverage persons, guards, front desk employees, room service, and housekeepers. All of the marketing, payroll, accounting, and surveillance activities of the casino are done in-house. If patrons are coming from major distances, there is even more necessity for hotels and restaurant employees. Those with training such as hospitality and recreation, hotel/motel and restaurant management, or administration either at the associate degree or bachelor degree level would be more likely to be considered for these occupations.

According to the management of one New Jersey casino, the positions which opened most frequently were: Lead computer operator, Food Server (Room Service), casino audit clerk, supervisor (kitchen steward), uniform attendant, showroom captain (seats guests for shows), executive secretary, food & beverage line server, payroll manager, and restaurant shift supervisor.

LICENSING INFORMATION

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has exclusive authority for licensing, regulation, and control of casino gaming in Michigan. You may apply for a license after being hired by one of the casinos. You must be at least 21 years old to work in any gaming function (at least 18 years old if working in a non-gaming function). A background check will be done (for any felony or misdemeanor).   Suppliers, managers and other key employees called LEVEL ONE employees have the highest license fees.

LEVEL ONE jobs that require a license include:

Casino managers/supervisors of:
Accountants, cashiers and other fiscal staff
Casino entertainment
Casino food and beverage service
Casino games
Casino hotel
Casino Human Resources Department
Casino restaurant
Slot machine / bill-changer repair and maintenance
Some employees of suppliers
Surveillance / Security investigations
Table games
Supplier managers / Supplier supervisors of:
Repair or maintenance staff who service slot machines, bill changers, etc.

LEVEL TWO workers are employees who operate or maintain casino games, or who come in contact with gaming money, chips, tokens, credit slips, etc., but who are not supervisors.  These include:

Accountants and financial controllers
Card dealer and other table game workers
Cashiers
Computer data input staff and technicians
Marketing staff / Promotion staff of casino gaming
Money changes
Money transfer workers
Security guards who work in restricted areas of the casino or provide physical security in the casino
Supplier examples are employees that:
Repair and maintenance of slot machines
Repair or maintenance of closed circuit TV systems
Maintain computer hardware

LEVELTHREE employees work in an area where gaming is conducted, or in areas that directly affect gaming but do not conduct the games or come in contact with gaming money, chips, tokens, credit slips, etc.  These include:

Housekeepers in casino area
Non-Gaming maintenance staff in casino area
Waiters / waitresses in casino area
Security guards / Security workers (whether or not in uniform)

JOBS THAT DO NOT REQUIRE A LICENSE: 

Generally, employees who do NOT work in areas where gaming is conducted, or do NOT work with money, chips or tokens, are NOT required to be licensed.

Examples are:
Coat check staff
Cooks
General laborers
General office staff
Groundskeepers
Hotel reservation clerks
Housekeeping / maintenance staff
Parking lot attendants
Public Relations staff
Receptionists
Sales Clerks
Telephone operators
Waiters / waitresses

Most casino workers were employed in casinos, casino hotels, or in state or local government offices that regulate gambling. A study of the American gaming industry reported that employees in the gaming industry earned $12.6 billion in wages and benefits in 2005.

In Michigan, the hourly wages (mid 2006) of unionized Casino Workers in the Detroit area were:

*Tips are a major factor in the wages.   The jobs that bring workers in contact with the public tend to have high compensation in tips. An interesting note is that dealers in Las Vegas could earn up to $100,000 per year in salaries plus tips, even though the hourly wage was low.  Dealers in Las Vegas have to share a percentage of their tips with their pit bosses because of the high gains involved.  Opportunities for advancement are strong in this field. Many newly hired employees find jobs as dealers. By acquiring knowledge of other games and having superior job performance, some become floorpersons or boxpersons and eventually become pit bosses.

Typically, promotions come from within for those who know the business well, although this is changing to a small degree as those with a Bachelor's degree in Casino Management, Accounting or Computer Science may be hired for their expertise in a given area.

Nationally, in 2004 there were at least 238,300 casino employees including gaming supervisors and managers, dealers, sports book writers and runners, cage workers, cashiers, gaming surveillance officers and gaming investigators.  Overall, these gaming occupations will grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2014.

Not included in this employment data are occupations such as waiter/waitresses, bartenders, parking lot attendants, etc. that are not unique to the gaming industry. According to the American Gaming Association, commercial casinos provide direct employment for over 354,000 people and generate an additional 450,000 jobs in related businesses.  

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