Gambling is both a popular pastime and an industry that employs tens of thousands of people around the world.
Whether you enjoy casino table games at a real casino or you’re more into online slots, it’s good to know that you could potentially convert your pastime into a job that has great career prospects. Read more to learn about the most common careers in the casino industry.
Floor staff
Floor staff are indispensable to any casino operation. These casino workhorses aim to keep guests happy and make sure that the casino always looks great. The job title applies to various roles, including custodians, bartenders, wait-staff, gofers and any other position that involves hands-on work.
Floor staff team members often cycle through different roles on different nights. They’re always on the move, ready to assist guests by answering questions or showing them where they can find a game. They keep the floor and restrooms clean too.
The job requires a can-do attitude where no job is too menial to complete. Stamina, self-discipline and a strong work ethic are also essential. If you’ve got what it takes to work long hours with a smile, a floor staff position is a great way to begin a casino career.
Cashier
Casino cashiers are at the coalface of the casino business. They’re responsible for managing money and helping guests who want to top up their bankroll or cash out their chips. That means long hours in a booth or cage sorting out issues with checks, credit card issues and wire transfers. Cashiers often have to deal with disgruntled customers, fewer opportunities to earn tips and fairly repetitive work.
While this might not look like such a great prospect on the face of it, the positive side is that the job of a casino cashier is an excellent entry-level position to get into casino management.
Slot attendant
Online slots may not require a slot attendant, but these casino slot games staff are a firm favorite on the casino floor. It’s up to slot attendants to work with casino guests and management to keep things running smoothly and ensure a good customer experience.
A slot attendant is allotted a specific set of casino slot games and video poker machines to work with. The job involves making sure the machines run properly and taking care of guests’ comfort and safety. Another aspect is paying out big wins by hand to slow players. Slot attendants also work with slot hosts to promote casino loyalty programs.
It’s a great way to gain exposure to casino guests and develop customer service skills. If you’re successful as a slot attendant, you’ve got a good shot at becoming a casino host.
Casino host
Guest outreach and brand management are part and parcel of a casino host’s day. An important part of the job is keeping high-paying guests coming back to play casino table games. Casino hosts achieve this by setting up visits with them and by designing VIP and loyalty programs to cater to their specific needs. Of course, casino hosts work with all their other guests, too. Part of that is working the slow-playing crowd, especially in places with a prolific gambling culture.
Casino hosts have to know how to attract guests’ attention, perhaps with a promotions booth or by talking to guests about the benefits of their programs. Some casinos also have casino slot hosts who focus on high-paying casino slot game players.
Casino security and surveillance
Casino security and surveillance are focused on making and keeping the casino environment safe and fun. These two security roles work together to ensure visitors can relax and enjoy their favorite casino games and entertainment without risk to themselves or their property.
Casino security staff can be found on the casino floor itself. They are always on the lookout for any suspicious behavior, whether it’s players cheating or individuals trying to take advantage of someone who may have had a few too many drinks. Casino security surveillance staff use the casino cameras to also keep an eye out for any suspicious activity from a higher vantage point, allowing them to spot questionable behavior from above the casino floor.
Casino manager
Casino managers are paid well, but they have a lot on their plate. They have to manage teams that perform specific scheduling, training and payroll tasks. Casino managers need to know about HR responsibilities and general accounting, as well as their team members’ duties and tasks. It’s a balancing act because they must look after casino profits while keeping customers happy. Casino managers need accounting skills and some kind of diploma in marketing or human resources. Above all, casino managers need to know what’s going on with every job in the casino.
It’s a demanding role that requires leadership skills and the ability to pacify disgruntled guests, soothe unhappy investors and keep the peace among employees. Hiring and firing is another key responsibility. The reward for all this stress is a six-figure salary.
Pit boss
Pit bosses are the friendly enforcers of the casino floor. They’re responsible for watching over casino table games, supervising dealers, handling security and managing floor supervisors. They must keep an eagle eye out for cheating customers and potential dealer errors. They also have to enforce proper game procedures and process payouts and paperwork while creating a fun atmosphere to keep customers happy.
Pit bosses have a lot of authority, which compensates for the stress of doing so many things at once. It’s also one of the higher-paying jobs in the casino.
Casino dealer or croupier
The dealer’s job is the most prized of all casino careers. Dealers get all the attention because they engage face to face with guests at table games such as blackjack, poker, baccarat, craps and roulette.
It’s the dealer’s job to create a lively atmosphere while ensuring that guests are following the rules and will even teach you the basics of how to play casino games. Sure, a busy dealer may not be able to teach you all the ins and outs of how to play poker in a casino, but if a table is empty, they can definitely help you get to grips with the game. This is why dealers have to be experts at the games they play. All of this can make being a dealer a tough call. Not everyone has the gaming expertise and people skills to run a table smoothly. On top of that, dealers tend to live on tips, so they gamble on landing a table of high rollers who tip well.
One especially good thing about being a dealer is that you can transition to online casino games, as more and more gamers play table games on a casino games app.
Live casino manager
Live online casino gaming offers a clear career path from live dealer to manager. The work environment is a state-of-the-art live casino studio, where camera-trained table game dealers and croupiers host the latest live dealer casino games and engage with players on a casino games app.
The live casino environment demands a high level of management skills. Operations managers oversee business planning, management, budget and staffing. Team managers lead teams of online casino dealers and card shufflers, ensuring they perform to expectations and follow their schedules. Floor supervisors cover the baseline by ensuring that all floor duties are taken care of. They also support the dealers and croupiers whenever questions arise.
Play slots online and casino table games at BetMGM
Casino careers demand expert knowledge of casino games and what better way to gain that knowledge than to play in our casino online here at BetMGM? Sign up for classic table games, including live casino online games, or relax with a session of online slot machines. Our casino games app puts you in charge of where and when you play. Enjoy a variety of casino games for money at BetMGM.
