Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Casino Dealer?

If your love for all things gambling rivals mine, you may think becoming a casino dealer would be an ideal career choice.

Right below professional gambler of course.

Who wouldn’t love playing all their favorite casino games as a job?

I have a friend who was a blackjack dealer at Winstar World Casino in Thackerville, OK. Winstar happens to be the largest casino in the world.

One day I asked him what his favorite part of working as a casino dealer was. He simply grinned and told me that he wins more often than he used to.

I felt like there was a small amount of injustice that my friend wasn’t included in some sort of profit sharing.

Casino Dealers Aren’t Instant Millionaires

I’ll cut right to the chase. When you talk about jobs, the first thing that comes to mind is money.

So, how much do casino dealers make?

The short answer is, it depends.

It may actually be because of that variance you decide casino dealing isn’t for you.

For starters, know this:

• Your base pay isn’t going to impress you. This is especially true for dealing games like blackjack, poker, roulette, or baccarat.
• You shouldn’t expect to start out at more than about $8-9 an hour.

In case you don’t know, that’s not a terrible start. You’re probably thinking to yourself that $8 an hour is a terrible start unless you live in a cave and eat sticks.

That’s because the real money for casino dealers comes not from the casino. Casino dealers make their nut from tips (in the United States). These tips shoot the total income up dramatically.

The exact number for a dealer’s salary plus tips varies greatly. I would say a safe bet is between $27,000 and $65,000 a year.

I have met more than one dealer, and some have confided in me there is potential to creep over $100,000. However, I’ve been assured, this is rarified air.

I have observed many casino dealers take in over $20 an hour in tips, and I’ve also witnessed a lucky real money blackjack dealer at a $5 table get a $750 tip from a philanthropic guest. The tips are a wildcard, but you are almost guaranteed to double your wages.

What Factors Determine How Much Money A Dealer Earns?

If you plan on becoming a casino dealer, be aware that there are factors that will determine how much you earn. These factors are completely out of your control.

As a new dealer, you may likely start on games that are much less popular, slower paced, and garner smaller tips.

Also, the demand for casino dealers is at some places seasonal in nature. This means that when the casino isn’t filling up, they won’t need some tables open. You can see how this would affect hours and cut into your maximum potential income.

Many people assume that the dealers at the posh Las Vegas properties rake in more tips than their fellow dealers in smaller casinos around the country.

However, this isn’t necessarily the case.

Obviously, if you are dealing to the whales in the VIP room, you are going to have more success at a mega resort. I can’t imagine the enormous tips that must come from that, but I’m guessing those are our friends in the $100k+ club.

For a typical dealer, how much money you take home will rely heavily on the games that you’re dealing and how likable you are. So, clearly the more experienced dealers will make more, but a highly personable person also will do well.

If you consider yourself “not a people person”, you should not be considering this as a profession.

You also want to consider that a few casinos make dealers pool their tips. This could be a poor deal for you, if you are being rewarded handsomely for your excellent service. If you do find yourself in this position, you had better get out your pom poms and rally the team daily.

Another important fact to consider is that the whales aren’t always the best tippers. I’ve heard plenty of stories from the poker rooms where a pro player may rake chips in hand over fist for a session and not share any of their bounty.

Conversely, if heard lower end games tend to draw the more chill players. These players may tend to tip more, because of their “we’re all having fun here” approach.

Casino Dealing Is Not All Fun and Games

There are a ton of amazing aspects to being a casino dealer, and I’ll share some more of those shortly.

What about when it isn’t all fun and games?

I hope you have comfortable shoes. Unless you are sitting down dealing poker, you’re going to do a lot of standing. Sure, you’ll get a short break every hour or so, but all your hard work is sure to take its toll.

Believe it or not, the players may be less than pleasant at times. I’m sure you’ve witnessed players that berate the dealer for their poor playing strategies or just plain bad luck. I imagine it’s far more demoralizing when the dealer actually makes a mistake.

Being a casino dealer also means that you are going to have to get comfortable taking, at times, large amounts of money from people.

Not to mention, you’ll be constantly under the high-tech surveillance of the casino. The job of the security team is more about protecting the casino’s money than the casino’s customers. They watch just about everything that goes on at their tables.

You must constantly be aware of this and take measures to show them that you are the honest and trustworthy person I know you are. They’ll still watch you like a hawk though.

If you can deal with all of that, then comes the smoke. Assuming the casino nearest you is one of the many that still allows smoking. If you can’t stand the smoke, you may not have to wait long. More and more U.S. casinos are making the move towards smoke free.

Perk Up

If I haven’t scared you off, you might just make the cut. You’ve at least made it far enough to learn some of the awesome benefits of becoming a casino dealer.

Most casinos provide in-house classes for new dealers. This means you could be getting paid before you ever step onto the casino floor.

Therefore, if you need or prefer to work odd hours for any reason you should be good. This also allows for time off requests to often be given the green light without much push back from management.

Unfortunately, this is a double-edged sword. If you are drawing shifts that are slow or times that conflict with your family life, this is a nightmare. Most people aren’t keen on the idea of being stuck at work on Christmas while others are with their loved ones or July 4th when everybody else is enjoying the long weekend.

Get hired on with one of the casinos owned by large corporations and you may even score solid benefits. Most of the top casinos offer retirement plans like 401ks and health plans for their valued employees.

At many casinos you’ll even start acquiring paid time off and vacation days right away.

Deal or No Deal?

I have tried my best to provide a reasonable point/counterpoint look at becoming a casino dealer. I don’t intend to discourage anyone from becoming a dealer.

Being a dealer at a live dealer casino is literally a dream job for a lot of people around the world. For others, it can be a wonderful opportunity to get their foot in the door of the gaming industry.

If your love of meeting new people matches your love for the casino life, then casino dealer might just be the perfect job for you.

Conclusion

The gambling industry is growing by the minute, and with that growth comes increased competition. Casinos are nearly always on the lookout for qualified dealers for their business.

I’ve given you an overview of some of the wonderful aspects of becoming a casino dealer along with a couple of the drawbacks.

The one piece of advice I’ll give anyone who may be considering a job as a casino dealer is to temper that initial burst of excitement. You should always weigh your options carefully and have deep discussions with people you trust before making any major career decisions.