Careers in the Gambling Industry

A casino-hotel or resort concierge is tasked with all the usual things a concierge must do – greet guests, make reservations, give directions, deal with property issues – but also has a hand in gaming operations. That means a gaming concierge has at least two bosses that he reports to regularly. This is another reason why you should be really nice to your gaming concierge.

High-school diploma or equivalent. Many years’ experience in hospitality. Additional training in the gambling business. Many hotels require gaming concierges be trained as dealers. Training courses for concierge service exist, though they’re not necessary.

$50,000, varying between properties. The fancier the hotel, the higher the salary. Pay also grows with experience. A position as a gaming concierge is often seen as a springboard into gaming management, hosting, and VIP service.

Better-than-average. The gambling business has always made most of its money from its top customers. Concierges are crucial to serving this lucrative population, and good ones are always in demand.

Don’t call them “cocktail waitresses,” or you’re liable to get a dirty look and a long wait for your next drink. These days, floor servers do much more than drag the occasional free drink to your table. They talk to customers. They make friends. They monitor drunkenness. They give advice. They may even bring you food right to your machine. In some casinos, they act as adjunct security guards. In short – these are powerful employees who can make or break your time in the casino.

None, though in major gambling markets, these positions can be highly-sought after and competitive. Usually, experience gets you in the door before good looks.

Min. wage, plus tips. Servers in the casino depend on tips, just like servers in restaurants. Servers earn tips directly proportional to how busy they are and the level of play at the casino where they work. Choose your job wisely.

Excellent. The world will always need servers, and casinos will always be eager to hire good ones. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports expected growth about double the average American career.

Security guards are tasked with protecting the casino’s property from theft, vandalism, and any other illegal activity. The job of a casino-hotel’s security guard varies from property to property. Usually requires long hours.

High-school diploma or equivalent. Additional training is available, but not required. Some security guards have law enforcement experience, a degree in criminal justice, or some related experience, which helps them secure employment.

$10/hr. This is an entry-level position. Experience tends to lead to higher pay, though experienced security guards that work in the gaming business also tend to move upward rapidly.

Average. Security guards are less necessary as the gambling industry turns toward high-tech surveillance methods. Drones are even replacing floor guards in many international properties, a trend that’s expected to continue here in America in the coming years.

Bartenders prepare and serve drinks and light snacks. At many Vegas properties, bartenders are asked to put on a show. Since bartenders work for tips, they have to walk a fine line between making customers happy and avoiding the potential for over-service. It’s common for bartenders to “manage” floor servers at casinos.

Bartenders must be certified by the state where they work in order to serve alcohol. This is true in every state in America that allows casino-style gambling. Bartenders who work in fancy casinos or resorts tend to require additional training to provide a wider variety of services, knowledge of new cocktails and techniques, and even special flair service techniques to capture the attention of VIP customers. Basically, any additional training you get will make you more employable in a casino bar.

$9/hr., plus tips. As we mentioned with other service positions already, bartenders can make very little money slinging beers at low-end card rooms, or they can bring home the big bucks, especially if they work in big cities with casinos, like Las Vegas or Atlantic City.

Good. Service positions will always be available. A skilled bartender is even more valuable to a casino than a good chef.

The “head chef” is in charge of all kitchen activities, from creating menus to managing staff. This position usually requires management-style activities like ordering inventory, designing menus, and overseeing production. Of course, the chef de cuisine does cook a meal every now and then, too.

Though a few “self-taught” chefs have worked at the tip of the restaurant career ladder in the past, most casino-resort head chefs learn their skills through a combo of work experience and training at a community college or culinary arts school.

$90,000+. When you’re the head chef at a major casino-resort property or flagship restaurant, your salary is equal to your responsibilities and experience. Celebrity head chefs have million-dollar contracts, but even the new guys in the trade are taking home a decent check. Of course, chef de cuisine tend to spend 18 hours a day at the restaurant. We’re talking about trading hours for dollars, at this level.

Average. Few true head chef positions open up each year in big casino markets in America. However, the outlook for the positions that already exist is excellent, as these properties generally grow bigger and more profitable each year, demanding more from food and hospitality services.

These employees are the main task force of regulatory agencies, reviewing records of gaming license holders to determine whether taxable gaming revenues have been reported and paid. These investigators also help determine overall compliance with area regulations and gambling laws. Investigators are also responsible for maintaining compliance by conducting occasional reviews.

Audit agents are usually graduate-level accountants pursuing their Certified Public Accountant status. They are also up-to-date on business administration and the gambling industry. In America, most of these agents are almost always on assignment in the field at large casinos.

$65,000. Since most audit investigators are on their way up the career ladder, room for growth is built in to the job’s perks. Many of these investigators go on to accounting or management positions.

Average. The outlook for this position, like most positions in this category, is tied directly to the overall outlook of the US gambling market, which has been up and down over the past decade, and will probably be the same way over the next ten years.

Unlike the other jobs in this category, PR specialists working with gambling regulators generally work for gaming providers rather than government regulators and auditors. Basically, PR specialists who focus on gaming regulations in casinos are experts in the fields of gambling law, accounting, taxation, regulation, and public relations.

Most PR specialists working at the Group 1 casino level are lawyers with plenty of experience in PR, customer relations, and the gaming industry. It is a terminal position, as reflected by the salary and benefits packages offered to these employees.

$101,000, with bonuses of many times that base number available for performance.

Average. Though regulations are increasing, which means more PR specialists are needed, the gambling industry itself is slowly contracting.

These government agents are charged with collecting and distributing the various taxes, fees, penalties, and fines associated with the gaming business. These agents are considered enforcers of the taxation aspect of all gaming licenses in America, as usually approved by various state gaming boards. In states where compliance reviews are necessary, tax and licensing agents are responsible for carrying out and reporting on these reviews. In many states, these agents also monitor and enforce tribal gaming laws.

State tax and licensing agents generally hold a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, finance, accounting, or a related field. Good agents need to know the basics of accounting, as well as basic police techniques, interviewing, and casino management principles. Travel is a big part of the life of a Tax and Licensing agent.

$52,000. This is considered an entry-level position for recently-graduated business majors looking for experience in finance, with lots of room for growth, and generally-short tenures at each position.

Average. This job, as are all the jobs in this category, is so tied to the success of the US gaming industry that it’s tough to say how many positions will exist ten years from now.

Gaming enforcement agents conduct criminal and regulatory investigations about all gaming, licensed and unlicensed. They settle disputes between gamblers and gaming providers. They’re also usually charged with operating the system for investigating the criminal history of people applying to work in a casino. They may run intelligence operations on gaming-related crimes, interrogate suspects, maintain a log of suspicious casino patrons, and perform other traditional police tasks in a casino setting. In many states, enforcement agents also monitor and regulate charitable and social gambling.

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent LEA experience is generally required in every US state. Gaming enforcement agents tend to be trained law enforcement officers with special certification and degrees in areas like criminal justice.

$33,000. This is an entry-level position in law enforcement, from which most workers hope to advance within a few years.

Good. All traditional law enforcement positions like this one have a strong future, based on BLS statistics. Within ten years, the US government expects job growth of around 10% in this sector.

Technology auditors are responsible for testing and recommending gambling devices and games for approval by state and federal commissions. These agents perform traditional as well as statistical, mathematical, and computer simulation analysis of new games and game styles. They are a huge part of the approval process for wagering system of all types, and are often hired as consultants by new game designers.

A bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or Computer Engineering is a must. An emphasis in high-level math, especially probability, and software design is a big plus, as well. Tech auditors should also have the ability to program in a higher-level language such as C or C++.

$80,000. Far from an entry-level position, competition for these jobs is tough. The salary and benefits package is one reason why. The opportunity for immediate advancement into upper management is another.

Below-average. Competition from poor overseas markets is driving the value of this position down to the point that many companies are combining it with other enforcement agency positions.