Entertainment Jobs / Gaming Jobs / Jobs in Entertainment

Career Guide to Entertainment

Why not roll the dice on a career in gaming?

Are you interested in a career in Casino Management? With training, you can be on your way to an exciting career in the field of hospitality and gaming management.

What They Do:

Gaming managers perform a many vital functions on the casino floor. They generally oversee that casino operations are conducted properly under house rules and in accordance with federal gaming laws. Casino managers are responsible for monitoring staffing, establishing casino policies, and resolving customer complaints. They handle the distribution of “ comps” (free hotel rooms, meals, etc. that are offered to players), keep track of money at the tables, and monitor credit that might be extended to players.

Training:

To work in Casino Management, you need to earn a hospitality management bachelor's degree with an emphasis on casino management and gaming. This type of degree can lead to a career as a gaming manager, gaming supervisor, gaming surveillance officer, or similar career. In a hospitality management degree program, you will learn about the hospitality industry while specializing in the casino and gaming industry. Classes in your concentration may include gaming management, gaming law, casino marketing, and tourism marketing. You training will prepare to manage the day-to-day operations of your establishment. To succeed in gaming management, you will need to have excellent communication skills and leadership capabilities.

Earnings:

When you earn your degree with a concentration in casino management, you can potentially earn a very nice living. Casino managers often are paid salaries in excess of $100,000 annually. The BLS states that employment in gaming services, including gaming managers and supervisors, is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through 2014.

If this sounds like something your interested in, then a career in Entertainment or Gaming might be for you!

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. Gaming, the playing of games of chance, is a multibillion-dollar industry that is responsible for the creation of a number of unique service occupations.

The majority of all gaming services workers are employed in casinos. Their duties and titles may vary 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 nearly any gaming job, workers interact directly with patrons, and part of their responsibility is to make those interactions enjoyable.

Most casinos are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and offer 3 staggered shifts. Employees can be expected to work weekends and holidays. The atmosphere in casinos is generally filled with fun and often considered glamorous. However, casino work can also 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.

What Education/Certifications do you need for:
Entertainment Jobs / Gaming Jobs / Jobs in Entertainment

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 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 give training toward certificates in gaming, as well as offering an associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree in a hospitality-related field 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.

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.

Current & Future Job Outlook for:
Entertainment Jobs / Gaming Jobs / Jobs in Entertainment

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.

 Job prospects. 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.

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. Despite this, keen competition for jobs as gaming dealers is expected. There are generally more applicants than jobs. Experienced dealers who are able to attract new or return business will have the best job prospects.

 Employment change. With demand for gaming showing no sign of waning, employment in gaming services occupations is projected to grow by 23 percent between 2006 and 2016, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. The increasing popularity and prevalence of Indian casinos and racinos will provide substantial new job openings. 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 in established gaming areas in Nevada and Atlantic City, New Jersey, as they solidify their positions as tourist destinations.