Casinos hire employees to work in many different positions, from table games dealers to security guards. Different technical and personal skills are required for each position. Most of them involve keeping customers happy and safe while spending time at a casino. Each role also usually involves some responsibility with money. Here are some of the different roles you can fill in a casino.
Different roles you can fill in a casino
- Casino managers will hire and train new casino employees. They oversee all tasks in different departments of a casino.
- Table games dealers deal cards and deliver payouts to winners in games like poker, roulette, craps, blackjack and baccarat. Today people also enjoy playing casino games online, and they can play roulette, blackjack and poker variants with a live dealer.
- Pit bosses oversee dealers to ensure they follow the rules and handle money correctly.
- Cage cashiers turn slot chips and receipts into cash, cash patron checks, and count funds at the end of employee shifts.
- Bartenders and cocktail waitresses serve drinks to patrons.
- Security guards ensure the safety of the casino and its patrons.
- Slot supervisors take care of slot machines and deliver large payouts requiring tax documentation to patrons who win.
The training you need to be a casino employee
The steps you need to take to become a casino employee will depend on the role you want to work in.
- Formal education: You may need a bachelor’s degree for a manager’s role.
- Vocational or school training: This is sufficient for many roles in a casino. A role like table games dealer will require some specialized training.
- Work-related training: Some roles require no previous experience, and you can become a valet, housekeeper, or hostess and work your way up. Casinos will often promote employees from within so you can get paid to do work-related training and move to a higher-paying position.
Skills you need to work in a casino
Money handling skills: A number of roles in a casino involve handling money. As seen above, cashiers, bartenders and cocktail waitresses all need some previous experience in how to handle money. Security guards may have to transport safes from cashiers to armored vehicles. These roles all require keeping track of money and making sure it is secure.
Communication skills: Many of the positions in casinos require good communication skills. Casinos won’t keep patrons happy if employees don’t have the communication skills to deal with them in the right way. You will be required to develop communication skills if you want to work in any customer-facing role in a casino. You will need to be able to answer customer questions and provide them with instructions and guidance.
Safety and security skills: Security guards have to watch for behavior that could present a security risk to the casino, employees or patrons. They may have to escort unruly patrons out of a casino. All casino employees are responsible for pointing out any potential safety risks.
Thorough employee screening
Casinos will screen employees well before hiring them because so much money passes through them. They may have to pass background checks, drug tests, and psychological exams. Anyone with a criminal history, including theft, will be unlikely to find casino work.
