Legalized gambling in the United States today includes casino gaming, State lotteries, pari-mutuel wagering on contests such as horse or dog racing, and charitable gaming. Gaming, the playing of games of chance, is a multibillion-dollar industry that is responsible for the creation of a number of unique service occupations.
The majority of all gaming services workers are employed in casinos. Their duties and titles may vary from one establishment to another. Some positions are associated with oversight and direction—supervision, surveillance, and investigation—while others involve working with the games or patrons themselves by tending slot machines, dealing cards or running games, handling money, writing and running tickets, and other activities. In nearly any gaming job, workers interact directly with patrons, and part of their responsibility is to make those interactions enjoyable.
Like nearly every business establishment, casinos have workers who direct and oversee day-to-day operations. Gaming supervisors and gaming managers oversee the gaming operations and personnel in an assigned area. They circulate among the tables and observe the operations to ensure that all of the stations and games are covered for each shift and workers and gamblers adhere to the rules of the games. Gaming supervisors and gaming managers often explain and interpret the operating rules of the house to patrons who may have difficulty understanding the rules. They also may plan and organize activities to create a friendly atmosphere for the guests staying in casino hotels. Periodically, they address complaints about service.
Gaming managers also have additional responsibilities beyond those of supervisors. For example, gaming managers prepare work schedules and station assignments for their subordinates. They are responsible for interviewing, hiring, training, and evaluating new workers.
Managers supervise a variety of other workers. Some of these workers need specialized skills—dealing blackjack, for example—that are unique to casino work. Others require skills common to most business workers, such as the ability to conduct financial transactions.
Slot key persons coordinate and supervise the slot machine department and its workers. Their duties include verifying and handling payoff winnings to patrons, resetting slot machines after completing the payoff, and refilling machines with money. Slot key persons must be familiar with a variety of slot machines and be able to make minor repairs and adjustments to the machines as needed. If major repairs are required, slot key persons determine whether the slot machine should be removed from the floor. Working the floor as frontline personnel, they enforce safety rules and report hazards.
Gaming and sportsbook writers and runners assist in the operations of games such as bingo and keno, in addition to taking bets on sporting events. They scan tickets presented by patrons and calculate and distribute winnings. Some writers and runners operate the equipment that randomly selects the numbers. Others may announce numbers selected, pick up tickets from patrons, collect bets, or receive, verify, and record patrons' cash wagers.
Gaming dealers operate table games such as craps, blackjack, and roulette. Standing or sitting behind the table, dealers provide dice, dispense cards to players, or run the equipment. Some dealers also monitor the patrons for infractions of casino rules. Gaming dealers must be skilled in customer service and in executing their game. Dealers determine winners, calculate and pay winning bets, and collect losing bets. Because of the fast-paced work environment, most gaming dealers are competent in at least two games, usually blackjack and craps.
Work environment. Most casinos are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and offer 3 staggered shifts. Employees can be expected to work weekends and holidays. The atmosphere in casinos is generally filled with fun and often considered glamorous. However, casino work can also be physically demanding. Most occupations require that workers stand for long periods; some require the lifting of heavy items. The atmosphere in casinos exposes workers to certain hazards, such as cigarette, cigar, and pipe smoke. Noise from slot machines, gaming tables, and talking workers and patrons may be distracting to some, although workers wear protective headgear in areas where loud machinery is used to count money.
| 1. | Exchange paper currency for playing chips or coin money. |
| 2. | Pay winnings or collect losing bets as established by the rules and procedures of a specific game. |
| 3. | Deal cards to house hands, and compare these with players' hands to determine winners, as in black jack. |
| 4. | Conduct gambling games such as dice, roulette, cards, or keno, following all applicable rules and regulations. |
| 5. | Check to ensure that all players have placed bets before play begins. |
| 6. | Stand behind a gaming table and deal the appropriate number of cards to each player. |
| 7. | Inspect cards and equipment to be used in games to ensure that they are in good condition. |
| 8. | Start and control games and gaming equipment, and announce winning numbers or colors. |
| 9. | Open and close cash floats and game tables. |
| 10. | Compute amounts of players' wins or losses, or scan winning tickets presented by patrons to calculate the amount of money won. |
| 11. | Apply rule variations to card games such as poker, in which players bet on the value of their hands. |
| 12. | Receive, verify, and record patrons' cash wagers. |
| 13. | Answer questions about game rules and casino policies. |
| 14. | Refer patrons to gaming cashiers to collect winnings. |
| 15. | Work as part of a team of dealers in games such as baccarat or craps. |
| 16. | Participate in games for gambling establishments to provide the minimum complement of players at a table. |
| 17. | Seat patrons at gaming tables. |
| 18. | Prepare collection reports for submission to supervisors. |
| 19. | Monitor gambling tables and supervise staff. |
| 20. | Train new dealers. |
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