Gambling is one of the oldest forms of entertainment in the world. Archaeologists and anthropologists have found evidence that demonstrates that people engaged in gaming events as early as the dawn of history -- playing stones and sticks have been found at cave sites and in excavations on almost every continent in the world.
If you’re interested in working at a casino you should review your options and investigate the possibilities before you submit your job application.
Casino Employment
If you live in an area where a casino operates you have a good chance of finding work. New casinos open every year and existing casinos tend to expand. This creates a good job market for potential workers who are prepared to learn the ropes and be diligent at their tasks.
Each state, municipality and individual casino has its own regulations. That means that every job opportunity will differ from other, similar types of jobs. There are, however, some common components to these jobs so you can submit your job application with some basic knowledge and expectations of what awaits.
Casinos generally operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are a multi-billion dollar industry so chances are that you’ll be able to find work in a variety of skilled and unskilled positions that fits just about any schedule.
Experience
As with any type of employment, you’ll be more attractive as a potential employee if you have experience in the casino industry. It’s probably a good idea to accept a lower-paying job initially where you’ll be able to gain experience and learn more about casino operations and culture. Once you have some background in casino work you’ll have more opportunities to move up in terms of job prestige and pay scale and apply for better-paying jobs.
Casinos are very careful about security. Be prepared to face rigorous background checks and pre-employment screening. Casinos don’t want to hire anyone with a criminal background since casino workers work with massive amounts of money every day.
Check with the casinos in your region to find out what types of jobs are available. When people think about casinos they generally imagine the big casinos centers of Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Reno and Lake Tahoe. However, over the last few decades, numerous locales, including small cities and rural areas, have opened gaming centers -- many of these municipalities are focused on ensuring that jobs go to local residents. So look around your region to see what is available.
Types of Jobs
There are many different types of jobs and roles to play at a casino. Some play games with the customers while others fulfill support roles. Many of the jobs at a casino involve individuals that the players never see --- security and surveillance workers, administrative, sales and marketing personnel and many other staffers who keep the casino running and in prime condition for the visitors who come to experience gambling entertainment.
Casinos look for the top people to fill each task so that casino guests will be able to get the most out of their gambling activity (and, hopefully, return). Some of the job options include:
Table Games Dealers
Blackjack, poker, craps, baccarat and roulette are featured at every land-based and online casino. Regardless of the size of the casino and regardless of the number of available gaming machines, casino guests expect to engage in competition against a dealer at a table game, at least for part of their visit. Table games’ dealers occupy a esteemed position at the casino where they preside over their game competition to compete against the players. Most casinos limit their table game dealers to the employees who have the most experience, These dealers must also be personable and charismatic -- the casino wants players to feel engaged so that they’ll have more fun, will play more and will bet more. If this describes you -- if you feel that you can make a game of chance seem exceptionally fun and more exciting -- this might be the casino job for you.
Bartender
The bartender also occupies an important function in a casino venue. Not only is he responsible for pouring drinks, but he’s also tasked with the job of encouraging to play more games. Regardless of whether the player is on a winning streak and needs to be given a boost to continue or has lost consecutive matches and is in need of a friendly push to “get back in the game and recoup losses,” the bartender is the one that the casino relies on to keep things moving. If you think that you’re good with mixing drinks and mixing psychology with some comforting words of encouragement, a casino bartending job might be waiting for you.
Cashier
The cashier doles out the chips and pays out on wins. You can bet that the background check for the job of a casino cashier is intense and thorough. Cashier’s jobs are generally given to veteran casino employees who have proven their trustworthiness over time. But it’s not enough to simply be honest -- the cashier has to have good math skills so that calculations of chips delivered and chips redeemed is made quickly and efficiently. No casino is going to allow a newcomer to take over the role of the casino cashier but it’s a great job for which to aim if you are a long-time worker and have demonstrated your loyalty and honesty over time.
Slot Room Attendent
Slot Room attendents are tasked with keeping slots players happy. They need to know about the games -- sometimes hundreds -- and be able to help slots players navigate the various levels and elements of any game. They must guide players to the slot machines that are best suited for each player -- helping high-rollers to find a machine with big betting limits, new games to find simple machines and everyone to find games that fit their individual interests and fantasies. Slots room personnel are expected to encourage low-level bettors to play the slot machines, thus freeing the table games for the high-limit wagerers.
Jobs Outlook for the Casino Industry
The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that jobs in the casino industry will continue to grow. That’s much higher than average as compared to other types of occupations, especially since most casino jobs require only a high school diploma or a GED certificate. Salaries are reasonable -- people in managerial positions can make upwards of $50,000/year while lower-level personnel can take home approximately $20,000.
More and more states and municipalities are allowing casinos to operate in their region. They see the casinos as a way to generate jobs and revenues for public coffers. If you’re looking for a job at a casino, be sure that you understand what each casino job entails and how it fits into your previous experience and personal attributes before you apply for a job at a casino.
