Job description
Gaming dealers operate table games inside casinos. This position entails standing or sitting behind a table and operating various card games, such as baccarat, blackjack and poker, and other gaming equipment. The role of a gaming dealer is to compare the house’s hand against players’ hands, detect cheating, solve disputes and exchange money for chips.
Duties
- Shuffle cards and deal them to each player at the table to keep the game moving
- Collect players’ bets and determine when to cease betting
- Inspect cards to ensure they are in good condition
- Play the house hand and be active with players to know when to bet or deal another card
- Apply the variations in rules that allow players to bet on their hands
- Respond to questions about game rules and casino policies
- Provide payout based on the results and overall pot
- Watch out for cheaters and scammers and then notify floor managers
- Handle uncouth customers, excessive gamblers and drunk patrons
- Seat customers at the gaming table
- Join other tables to make sure there is the required minimum of players at a table
- Train new dealers at the casino
Skills, qualities and knowledge
Working hours and environment
Average working hours
40hweek
Typical schedule
Shift Work
Nights, weekends and holidays
Gaming dealers will work primarily on the casino floor. Entry-level dealers will typically complete 8- or 10-hour shifts that are not performed by seasoned staff, which typically involves nights, weekends or holidays.
A lot of casino dealers report to having fun in their jobs, but it can also be physically, mentally and emotionally demanding and exhausting. Gaming dealers will be required to stand for hours at a time, using their brain most of the time and seeing individuals who have an intense gambling problem.
Many casinos are fast-paced environments that are constantly making dealers be on the go.
Salary
Bottom 10%
$17k
Median
$20k
Top 10%
$34k
Annual salary estimates are based on percentile wage data collected through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) survey of US workers.
Qualifications and training
Education level
High school
DVM / VMD degree
Study time
3weeks
No formal education is required to become a gaming dealer. Casinos expect their employees to have a high school diploma or a GED equivalent in their employ. Some gambling establishments would prefer it for their staff to maintain university or college degrees so they can advance through their ranks.
If you do not have any casino experience, then most of these businesses will offer in-house training – basic or extensive. Many casinos will also send their new hires to gaming school. On average, the training programme will last about three weeks.
It should be noted that some jurisdictions require casino dealers to register with certain regulatory bodies to attain a licence.
Job outlook
Projected growth
1%
No of new jobs
1.1k
Automation risk
96%
Career progression
There are plenty of employment opportunities in the industry, but it requires gaming dealers to learn the business from the ground up, not from the top down. After several years of experience and thousands of hours, casino dealers can either advance in the casino or elsewhere in this niche. Many dealers become floor managers or managers of the entire casino.