Making your host work for you. Gone are the days when casino hosts could comp you for everything based solely on a personal relationship. Instead, casinos will look at your theoretical and actual. At the Hard Rock Casino, which is pretty small, a loss of more than $4000 can reportedly net you 10% of your loss in comps. You can also get big comps if you have a large win. When you win big the casino will comp the hell out of you to keep you in the casino so they can win their money back from you. Mar 01, 2019 Casino and gambling comps are really cool and so understanding how those comps work is the first step in making sure you don’t get taken advantage of. Some players literally play free of cost just because of the comps, so if you understand this concept fairly you will surely be at the profit.

Casino workers fill a variety of roles in gaming operations. The roles all serve the same purpose: to serve the needs of the casino in increasing the number of gamblers at the establishment and the amount of money they gamble.

In this free career guide, you will learn how to have a successful career as a casino worker.

Casino Worker Summary

• Workers need a license issued by a regulatory agency, such as a State casino control board or commission.
• Competition for jobs is expected to be keen.
• Job prospects will be best for those with previous casino gaming experience, a degree or technical or vocational training in gaming or a hospitality-related field, and strong customer service skills.

Working as a Casino Worker

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. There are a number of service occupations that are unique to the multibillion-dollar world of gaming, the playing of games of chance.

The majority of gaming services workers are employed in casinos. Duties and titles may vary within occupations 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 most gaming jobs, 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 that workers and gamblers adhere to the rules of the games. Gaming supervisors and gaming managers often interpret or explain the operating rules of the house to patrons who may have difficulty understanding the rules. 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.

Slot key persons coordinate and supervise the slot machine department and its workers. Their duties include verifying and paying off jackpots to patrons, resetting slot machines after completing the payoff, and refilling machines with tickets or 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. They also enforce safety rules and report hazards within their assigned areas.

Gaming and sports book 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. 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. Most gaming dealers are competent in at least two games, one usually being blackjack or craps.

Work environment. Most casinos are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Employees can be expected to work nights, weekends, and holidays. Casino work can 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.

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement

Each casino establishes its own education, training, and experience requirements, but all gaming service workers must obtain a license from a regulatory agency, such as a State casino control board or commission.

Education and training. There usually are no minimum educational requirements for entry-level gaming jobs, although most employers prefer workers with at least a high school diploma or GED.

Each casino establishes its own requirements for education, training, and experience. Some of the major casinos and slot machine manufacturers run their own training schools, and almost all provide some form of in-house training in addition to requiring certification. The type and quantity of classes needed may vary. Many institutions of higher learning offer training or classes toward certificates in gaming, as well as offering associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degrees in a variety of hospitality-related fields, such as hospitality management, hospitality administration, or hotel management. Some schools offer training in games, gaming supervision, slot attendant and slot repair technician work, slot department management, and surveillance and security.

Slot key persons do not need to meet formal educational requirements to enter the occupation, but completion of slot attendant or slot technician training is helpful. As with most other gaming workers, slot key persons receive on-the-job training during the first several weeks of employment.

Gaming and sports book writers and runners usually have at least a high school diploma or GED. Most of these workers receive on-the-job training.

Most gaming dealers acquire their skills by attending a dealer school or a vocational and technical school. Such schools teach the rules and procedures of the games, as well as State and local laws and regulations. Although beneficial, graduation from one of these schools does not guarantee a job at a casino, because most casinos also require prospective dealers to audition for open positions. During the audition, personal qualities are assessed along with knowledge of the games.

For most gaming supervisor and gaming manager positions, an associate’s or bachelor’s degree is beneficial, but not required. Most employees in these occupations have experience in other gaming occupations, typically as dealers, and have a broad knowledge of casino rules, regulations, procedures, and games.

Licensure. Gaming services workers are required to be licensed by a regulatory agency, such as a State casino control board or commission. Applicants for a license must provide photo identification and pay a fee. Some States may require gaming service workers to be residents of that State. Age requirements vary by State. The licensing application process also includes a background investigation and drug test.

Other qualifications. In addition to possessing a license, gaming services workers need superior customer service skills. Casino gaming workers provide entertainment and hospitality to patrons, and the quality of their service contributes to an establishment’s success or failure. Therefore, gaming workers need good communication skills, an outgoing personality, and the ability to maintain their composure even when dealing with angry or demanding patrons. Personal integrity also is important because workers handle large amounts of money.

Gaming services workers who manage money should have some experience handling cash or using calculators or computers. For such positions, most casinos administer a math test to assess an applicant’s level of competency.

Gaming supervisors and gaming managers must have strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills. Excellent customer service and employee relations skills also are necessary.

Advancement. Advancement opportunities in casino gaming depend less on workers’ previous casino duties and titles than on their ability and eagerness to learn new jobs. For example, an entry-level gaming worker eventually might advance to become a dealer or card room manager or to assume some other supervisory position.

Employment as a Casino Worker

Gaming services occupations provided 178,700 jobs in 2008. Employment among occupational specialties was distributed as follows:

Gaming services workers are found mainly in the traveler accommodation and gambling industries. Most are employed in commercial casinos, including riverboat casinos, casino hotels, and pari-mutuel racetracks with casinos—known as “racinos,” which are legal in 20 states. In addition, there are 29 States with Indian casinos. The largest number of gaming services workers work in casinos in Nevada. Legal lotteries are held in 43 States and the District of Columbia, and pari-mutuel wagering is legal in 40 States. Forty-seven States and the District of Columbia also allow charitable gaming.

Job Outlook

Employment of gaming service workers is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations. Opportunities will be best for those with previous casino gaming experience, a degree or technical or vocational training in gaming or a hospitality-related field, and strong customer service skills.

How Casino Comps Work In Poker

Casino moons uk. Employment change. Employment in gaming services occupations is projected to grow by 14 percent between 2008 and 2018, which is faster than the average for all occupations. The increasing popularity and prevalence of Indian casinos and racinos will provide new job openings. States that have recently legalized gaming in the form of electronic gaming devices or table games will provide growth as more gaming facilities are opened. With many States benefiting from casino gambling in the form of tax revenue or agreements with Indian tribes, additional States are reconsidering their opposition to legalized gambling and will likely approve the construction of more casinos and other gaming establishments during the next decade. Additional job growth will occur as popular tourist destinations, such as Las Vegas, continue to expand their gaming operations.

The increase in gaming reflects growth in the population and in its disposable income, both of which are expected to continue. Higher expectations for customer service among gaming patrons also should result in more jobs for gaming services workers. Because of increasing demand in gaming establishments for additional table games, particularly poker, the largest growth is expected among gaming dealers. However, new automated electronic table games, which eliminate the need for dealers, will moderate growth.

Atlantic City Casino Comps

Advancements in slot machine technology, such as coinless slot machines—known as “ticket-in, ticket-out machines”—will cause employment of slot key persons to grow by 3 percent from 2008 to 2018, which is slower than the average for all occupations. Ticket-in, ticket-out technology reduces the need for slot key persons to pay out jackpots, fill hoppers, and reset machines. Additionally, slot machines linked to a network allow adjustments to be made from a central computer server rather than from the floor by a slot key person.

Job prospects. In addition to job openings arising from employment growth, opportunities will result from the need to replace workers transferring to other occupations or leaving the labor force.

Keen competition for gaming services jobs is expected, because there generally are more applicants than jobs. Job prospects in gaming services occupations will be best for those with previous casino gaming experience, a degree or technical or vocational training in gaming or a hospitality-related field, and strong interpersonal and customer service skills.

Projections Data

Earnings for Casino Workers

Wages for gaming services workers vary according to occupation, level of experience, training, location, and the size of the gaming establishment. The following were median annual wages for various gaming services occupations in May 2008:

Gaming dealers generally receive a large portion of their earnings from tips in the form of tokens received from players. Earnings from tips vary with the table games the dealer operates, the personal traits of the dealer, and the pooling policies of the casino.

How Casino Comps Work In New Jersey

1. In many casinos, the denomination of your machine does not matter in earning comps, IF they are based exclusively on the total dollar amount of coin in. A nickel player who plays five timesJean Scott is known as the 'Queen of Comps' and encourages smarter casino gambling. She appears on network and cable TV, especially on the Travel Channel. Her down-to-earth practical suggestions will save you both time and money in your quest to make your trip to the casino more fun and more profitable. Jean's website is www.queenofcomps.com as long as a quarter player will get the same comps. A quarter player can achieve dollar-player status by playing four times as long. Check at the slot club to be sure of specific casino rules: some give more comps to dollar players than to quarter ones.

How Casino Comps Work

2. It used to be that almost all casinos based comps for machine players strictly on coin-in. High-tech tracking systems now allow casinos to add other factors to the formula. This can include such things as frequency of play, length of sessions, win/loss figures, denomination, and type of machine. Therefore it is often hard to determine how much play you must do to get the comps you wish to earn.

3. Some casinos comp rooms for out-of-towners more readily than for locals—even if both play at the same level. They assume, rightly or wrongly, that tourists will have a larger per-day bankroll. On the other hand, some casinos cater to locals and emphasize food comps more than free or discounted rooms.

4. Many casinos base your comps on a daily point average, spread over your whole visit. This works to your advantage, for example, if you play heavily some days and want to spend some days sightseeing with no play at all. Other casinos may penalize you for no-action days. Some casinos will lower your player rating (and thus the comp level) if you stop in and play just a short time on a day in between longer visits. In fact, I know of one casino that will count it as one whole day (a zero-play one) in your daily average if all you do is insert your card into a slot card reader to check your points. It pays to check on specific casino rules.

5. Some slot clubs do not give as many points to a player for video poker as they do for slot machines, so you will not earn as many comps for the same amount of coin-in.

6. If you want a food comp to one of a casino's better restaurants but your playing level is just under the qualification point, ask for a limited-dollar comp and/or one that is for food only, no alcoholic drinks. Your host may be more willing to issue it since you cannot run up a sky-high bill as you could on an 'open' comp.

7. You don't always have to be a high roller to get a comped suite. Some casinos take into consideration lifetime play. We've been elevated to suite status after a few years of frequent quarter play, especially during the slow season between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

8. My husband, Brad, likes meal comps not just because he can eat free, but because they mean he usually does not have to wait in a long line.

9. Never gamble with money you cannot afford to lose, just to get comps. It is wiser in the long run to plan to pay for your meals and room. Then, if the comps come, they'll be gravy.