Casino Dealing Jobs
Casinos are in 27 states, found from one coast to another, and from Connecticut to Florida. One thing they have in common is the need for casino dealers.
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Types of Dealers
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The most popular casino table game is blackjack, so casinos need lots of blackjack dealers. But dealers can be found in the craps pit, on pai gow tables, dealing "let it ride," three-card poker, Texas Hold 'em, four-card poker, baccarat, war and a handful of lesser-known games.
Compensation
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Larger casinos often pool the dealer tips (called tokes). The tokes are added to standard casino pay for the total compensation. Since casinos rarely pay more than minimum wage, the rest must come from tokes. Some smaller casinos allow dealers to keep their own tokes. Great dealers in top casinos can earn more than $50,000 per year, but most dealers make around $14,400.
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Where to Go
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The largest number of casinos is still found in Nevada, with Las Vegas leading the list. Atlantic City has a thriving casino trade, as does Mississippi. Casinos even can be found in places not normally associated with gaming, like Kansas or Georgia. With the advent of American Indian casinos, there are many places to deal.
Training
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Many casinos still hire and train their own dealers, but lots of dealer schools have sprung up, too. Students pay fees to learn how to deal the games, and often this kind of instruction can run between $750 to $1,300, depending on how many games and what type of games are learned.
Did You Know...
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Blackjack dealers have been working continuously in Nevada since 1931.
The Downside of Dealing
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Dealing jobs can be great fun, but many employees get burned out. They must put up with loud, obnoxious drunks. The jobs, especially during a recession, do not pay very well. The casino jobs easiest to get can be far away from housing and shopping, especially if working for remote American Indian casinos.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Blackjack table. Photo by Michael Johnson
