Working in a casino is both a magical and exhausting existence. From placing the purchase order for confetti to vacuuming it off the ballroom floor, it takes dozens of individuals and their respective departments to carry out the ever changing rotation of guest programming.
If working in a casino is something that you’re interested in exploring, or just want to know what options might align with your personality, I will address some of the most common choices below!
Then, if you’re ready to make your next career move, you can learn more about breaking into the field here.
Valet
While this certainly wouldn’t be my first choice, for those more athletically inclined, working valet can be profitable and enjoyable. Working in valet comes with some obvious struggles no matter where you live but in Vegas especially, it can get toasty (and by that I mean feel like the temperature of the sun that also happens to be under a broiler).
If you don’t mind pushing through the inevitable heat exhaustion, valet offers up some major profitability potential in the form of cash tips. For context, my first job out of school was working in hospitality at a four diamond destination resort in Galveston, TX (yes, the same Galveston that Brian cruises out of on a semi-regular basis). One of the friends that I made there started off as a valet and to this day he will readily admit he was raking in the dough even when compared to his manager level office job.
Big tips aside, valet also provides a way for people to get their feet in the door with little to no direct casino experience.
Events & Promotions Team
Let’s get this party started! If there was a ringmaster of any given casino, I would say they are the events and promotions team. Yes, technically these team members have way less pull than, say, the General Manager or even Director of Marketing but, in my opinion, they keep the best track of guest (player) sentiment. These are the people who are constantly interacting with the casino clientele, getting to know their likes and dislikes, learning about them on a personal level, all while ultimately planning the next activation the property will carry out.
To this day, I still lament over the 80’s themed outfit I didn’t get to wear to a player party right before the COVID shut down. It was the first time the events team let me pick out my own look and I was looking forward to having fun with our guests while grabbing social media content in my hot pink getup. If I ever get the opportunity again, perhaps I will break it out of the memory box it is stored away in.
The events and promotions team is a great place for people with big personalities (and smiles!) to make a name for themselves.
Slot Tech
Less of a party person and more of an investigator? You could apply to be a slot technician and peek behind the curtain of all things slots. Through hands-on experience on the floor, slot techs learn to troubleshoot by truly understanding the inner workings of the machines. They are there to make sure things are working properly and can often fix minor issues like printer errors or panel ajar error messages within a few minutes.
In addition to making sure the titles are running smoothly, slot techs also serve as a sort of ambassador while making their rounds. The role of a slot tech is suited for someone that is comfortable working alone, solving problems on the fly, and is equally as confident when interacting with guests.
Cocktail server
Another group of well known ambassadors for the casinos are, hands down, the cocktail servers. It’s kinda like the insurance commercial: “We know a thing or two, because we’ve seen a thing or two.”
Cocktail servers have seen it all. They have the chance to move around the floor more, albeit in their section, talking to a variety of players and watching it all, well, play out. These team members witness everything that comes along with visiting a casino from the joys of jackpot windfalls to disgruntled button slappers that need to be told to calm down.
Because cocktail servers are so public facing, these team members also need to be quick problem solvers and act as property guides. If you are someone that enjoys mixing and mingling with people, this job could be a good match for you!
IT Department
Calling all nerds (in a respectful way – I’m married to a PC gamer, afterall)! Working in the IT department at a property is a great option for individuals that like to work behind the scenes while still being heavily involved in the action. Unlike the other positions on the list, these individuals primarily interface with their fellow coworkers, acting as problem solvers, educators, and sometimes adult babysitters.
I didn’t need the adult babysitting when I worked in a brick and mortar casino; instead, I would work with the IT team on a variety of projects, such as setting up a dedicated WIFI network for livestreams.
It is important to note that working in IT, especially as a decision maker, is becoming more and more stressful with the increasing number of cyberattacks and phishing schemes (please stop clicking suspicious links). I wouldn’t recommend this role for someone that wants a more carefree existence. Those that don’t mind a stressful environment, are more than comfortable around technology, and enjoy the challenge of figuring out complicated digital issues should consider seeking out a role behind a screen.
