A Career in the Gambling Industry: How to Become a Casino Dealer?
A room that is slightly foggy with cigarette smoke, a table around which sit a lot of elegantly dressed people focused on the game, and the croupier – almost invisible, professional, wearing a white shirt, vest, and bow tie. He stands behind the customers of the casino, manages the games, explains the rules… This is the image of casinos and this profession is usually presented in movies and books. But as you can guess, this image is not often close to reality. So what does it look like to work in a casino? What does a croupier do and who can become one? How much can you earn in this position? We will try to answer these questions in this article!
Who is a dealer?
It must be admitted that despite the discrepancy between fiction and reality, what a croupier does is indeed consistent with the depiction in movies and books, as he leads the games that involve customers in the casino and also ensure that they are organized and run properly.
The croupier can also act as an inspector. What does this mean? In such a situation, he observes the behavior of the guests and catches possible cheating. Additionally, he checks and supervises the work of the croupier, who at the same time conducts the game.
So it seems obvious that the person occupying this position should know the rules of gambling – this is mandatory not only for their conduct but also to watch over the correctness of customer behavior. However, if you are just applying for this job, you should not worry if you do not know everything. Casinos usually organize appropriate courses after hiring, which prepare you to perform this function.
Apart from that, there’s no denying that this can be an extremely stressful job – casino guests often lose really big money there, so they can behave aggressively, threaten and intimidate – so a strong psyche and the ability to control stress is essential. The croupier is expected to be calm and try to resolve conflicts peacefully.
Dealers usually do not wear a watch at work. This is prohibited by employers. Casinos are constructed in such a way that there are no windows or any devices on which to check the time. Why? Because the owners want customers to lose track of time, to not know how long they have been in the casino, how much time they have spent there. Because of such dependencies, some guests can spend long hours in such a place without realizing it at all.
Of course, customers can check the time – have a phone or watch, they are not requisitioned at the entrance, but actually pulling out a phone in the middle of an interesting game seems a bit rude, besides, the person who is busy does not really think about looking at it. The focus on what’s going on at the table or machine is so great that the hour seems a secondary issue.
This is not the only trick used in casinos to make the customer stay there as long as possible, but this one directly the work of the croupier, who has to pull them off for the duration of the game.
There is also a whole, new perspective for croupiers and casino dealers. An online casino where they can provide customers with live streams and casino experience remotely. This part of the business is still improving and there is a lot to discover and achieve.
Dealer – the requirements of employers
As we have already mentioned, the croupier is a position that requires knowledge, patience, and control of emotions. So what do employers usually expect from candidates for the position of croupier? What must characterize such a person? After analyzing job advertisements for this position, we can conclude that it is important:
- Strong psyche and high resistance to work under pressure.
- Resistance to stress, ability to hide emotions.
- Calmness – even in stressful situations.
- Efficient and fast counting.
- At least secondary education.
- Perceptiveness and ability to react quickly
- Long fingers which make it easy to grip chips or cards.
- Openness and feisty nature.
- No criminal record.
- Ability to communicate in English at least fluently.
- Patience and composure.
Apart from that, you may notice that we usually look for young people (students, post-graduates) who have a pleasant appearance that inspires confidence. It is also necessary to speak clearly (people with impaired speech are unlikely to be hired), have good eyesight and hearing.
How to become a casino dealer?
Today, getting a job in this profession is not as difficult as it was a few years ago. Of course, it is still a demanding position and the candidate must be properly prepared to perform it, but more and more often in the initial stages of recruitment, good intentions and meeting the requirements posted in the ads are enough. What should be done to get a job in this profession?
In the past, the road to becoming a croupier was much longer. Before he joined the job, he had to take a proper course, which lasted 8 weeks. After each week there was a test on how to run the game. The croupier candidate had to pass each of them. The tests were not only based on knowledge of the rules of the game but also the ability to count efficiently and quickly.
The courses were organized by the casinos, so the tests were based on the games that were played in the place. Additionally, such training made the future employee learn what his work would look like, he got to know not only the rules of the game but also the place. In addition, after the course, the candidate had to go to the Ministry of Finance, where he passed another test, after which he could receive a license to become a croupier.
Does a croupier today get a job right away? Of course, it is not that he is unprepared for the profession. It is enough to look at job advertisements for this position to find out that today there are also training courses for the profession, but usually after the person is employed. So we can say that currently, the most important thing is goodwill. If you meet the requirements from the advertisement but you don’t know the rules of the game, you shouldn’t worry – the casino will take care of you after you’ve been hired so that you’ll be as professional as possible.
The changes are mainly due to the fact that not many people apply for this job nowadays, much less than before.
How much does a casino dealer earn?
An interesting question for people who are considering this position and more is also how much a person working as a croupier can earn. Is it a paying occupation? In the USA, the median basic earnings are around $80,000 per year. However, it is worth mentioning that often representatives of this profession can even collect a second salary from tips. Guests of such places can be very generous indeed.
In connection with the salaries and the nature of the work, this position is often chosen, for example, by students who want to earn some extra money.
Dark sides of a casino dealer’s work
There is no denying that the work of a croupier, although it seems interesting and engaging, has its dark side. First of all, there can be guests who cheat – if you draw their attention to what they are doing, they can turn aggressive or even intimidate the croupier. The same goes for customers who lose money – no matter how much it is. The behavior of bitter and frustrated people can be so threatening that it is necessary to take them out of the casino.
The job, therefore, requires a strong personality. But attacks from disgruntled customers are one thing – besides, it is also worth mentioning that most such places are open 24 hours a day, so you need to be prepared to work different hours – day and night – and days that will be off for most employees.
It goes without saying that working as a croupier is no piece of cake, and not everyone will be able to cope with the tasks they will face. That’s why it’s always a good idea to think carefully before taking it, whether you can handle it for sure.
