Casino Dealer Salary With Tips
- Where I worked, starting wage for new dealers was $4.50 an hour. Tips were pooled, except for the poker dealers who kept their own tips. Typically, my hourly would be anywhere from $15 an hour to the holiday week when it was $24 an hour.
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Depending on the casino and the stakes of the games you’re dealing, you can expect to make anywhere from $15 per hour in tips to $50 per hour in tips, on average. That $50 per hour figure, by the way, is an outlier statistic. This assumes you’re working at a high-end casino dealing the higher-limit casino games to the high rollers. But do not expect that salary to rise that much over time – as mentioned above, a dealer’s pay relies heavily on tips (about 50 to 80% of a dealer’s salary is based on tips). Second of all, in order to work as a live casino dealer, you will probably have to take a croupier training course, which will not be paid by the casino.
Do you love the casino scene?
Does being a casino dealer seem like the perfect blend of glamour, excitement, and fun?
At first glance, being a dealer at a casino might seem like the perfect job. After all, you probably already enjoy the games you’ll be playing. And you will be getting paid to play them.
You don’t even have to risk losing any money while you play. The casino is banking all the action.
As a casino dealer, the amount you win for the house has no bearing on your pay, though. You get an hourly wage plus tips.
Compared to some jobs, being a casino dealer might be a great deal. As casino gambling continues to grow across the nation, more jobs become available, and fewer potential employees are out there to fill those jobs. This means wages are climbing, too.
This post examines how much you can expect to make as a casino dealer, tips and all.
What Is the Average Wage for a Casino Dealer?
Your average wage as a casino dealer isn’t impressive at all. It’s a service industry, so when you calculate how much you’ll make, you need to take the same kind of mindset that waitresses and bartenders take:
How much money you make is based more on tips than on your hourly wage.
And the better you serve your customers, the more they’ll tip.
In other words, if you’re not a people person, becoming a casino dealer might not be a great idea.
The hourly wages for casino dealers don’t vary based on the game, either. Blackjack dealers make the same kind of money as baccarat dealers, who make the same kind of money as poker dealers or roulette dealers (or croupiers, as they’re called).
The starting pay for an average casino dealer is between $8 and $10 per hour. Some of that is based on experience, too.
If you’re able to get 40 hours a week, which is unusual, you’re looking at $16,000 to $20,000 per year. Most casino dealers, especially starting out, don’t get 40 hours a week, though.
That’s barely enough to pay the rent if you have a roommate and live in a cheap apartment.
Depending on the casino and the stakes of the games you’re dealing, you can expect to make anywhere from $15 per hour in tips to $50 per hour in tips, on average.
That $50 per hour figure, by the way, is an outlier statistic. This assumes you’re working at a high-end casino dealing the higher-limit casino games to the high rollers.
Even then, some high rollers don’t tip — or if they tip, they don’t tip well at all.
Poker dealers make the most money from tips on the most consistent basis, but a lot of this depends on people skills. In some casinos, the dealers are required to pool their tips.
I once played at a casino in Las Vegas with an older poker dealer named Boris. He got mad at me for saying the words “Carpe diem” at the table. He said that I was only allowed to speak English at the table.
Being a friendly guy, I smiled and explained to everyone at the table that the phrase is Latin for “seize the day.”
Boris didn’t think that was helpful, either. He was surly and rude.
As a result, I didn’t tip him.
I shared the story with a professional poker player friend of mine, and he told me that he would have raised hell with the cardroom manager until Boris had been fired.
And the thing is… I don’t mind a little correction. In fact, I’m a humble guy. Had he been reasonably friendly and polite about it, I would have continued to tip him. So it goes.
Also, just because you’re dealing a higher-stakes poker game doesn’t mean you’ll make more in tips. Some of the high-rolling poker players are notorious cheapskates. If you’re dealing high-roller blackjack, craps, or roulette, you’ll do a lot better than if you’re dealing high-limit hold’em.
According to Glassdoor, the average wages for dealers and related jobs are all over the place. They suggest that the average dealer makes $40,000 a year. They also suggest that an average poker dealer only makes $20,000 a year.
Other related jobs include the floor supervisor, with an average salary of $53,000 a year, a casino host, with an average salary of $35,000 a year, and a casino shift manager, with an average salary of $27,000 a year.
The site also lists salaries by company, and it looks like Caesars is the best place to be a dealer, with a salary of $42,000.
Indeed.com has more survey results and suggests an average of $15/hour, which equates to $30,000 a year. They had a listing for a dealer position in Black Hawk, Colorado, where the starting pay was $38/hour. That’s $76,000 a year.
ZipRecruiter suggests that top dealers make $400,000 a year, but I can’t imagine that’s accurate. The rest of their averages are in line with what I saw on the other sites mentioned.
The Perks and Drawbacks of Being a Casino Dealer as a Career
If you know anything about the service business, you probably know that dealing with the customers can be the biggest perk and the biggest drawback to your job. This is especially true in the casino business, though, because emotions tend to be amped up when money is on the line.
You’ll probably spend a lot of time on your feet if you’re dealing table games in the casino. If you’re dealing poker in the cardroom, you’ll probably need to bring a pillow for some extra cushioning at your chair.
One of the other drawbacks of being a casino dealer is that it turns what used to be a leisure activity into a work activity. Playing blackjack is great when you get to do it a couple of times a year for a few hours at a time.
But after dealing blackjack for 30 hours a week for six weeks straight, it becomes drudgery.
In most casinos, smoking is still allowed. That might or might not bother you. I’ve spent enough time in bars and AA meetings that cigarette smoke doesn’t bother me at all, but I’m not like most people.
One of the perks of dealing casino games is that it doesn’t require a degree. You can go to a vocational school to become a dealer, though, but the time and financial commitments are smaller than with other careers. You can usually be qualified to be a casino dealer after a couple of months and an investment of $1,000.
If you’re a night owl, or if you’re looking for a second job — we used to call it “moonlighting” — casino dealing might be perfect for you. After all, most casinos are open 24/7. And guess which shifts are the hardest ones for the managers to cover.
Most casinos are owned by large companies with human resources departments. This means that you’ll probably be eligible for a benefits package. These can include health insurance and retirement benefits, as well as paid time off.
Breaks are longer for casino dealers than you’ll see at other jobs. At most casinos, you work for 90 minutes and then take a 30-minute break. During an eight-hour shift, you get a total of two hours of break time.
If you like having stories to tell, being a casino dealer puts you in a position to have lots of anecdotes. Heck, I have quite a reputation as a raconteur just from the stories I have to tell by being a player. And believe me, I haven’t spent THAT much time gambling in casinos — not compared to someone who deals for a living, anyway.
What Are Your Job Responsibilities as a Casino Dealer?
Think of the dealer as the host for a specific game. The dealer shuffles and deals the cards, or spins the roulette wheel, or directs the action at the craps table. The dealer also trades chips for money.
If you’re a poker dealer, you’re responsible for collecting the rake. It’s your job to make sure the players post their blinds.
If you’re dealing a casino game, you collect the players’ losses and pay out their winnings in chips.
It’s traditional to start your career dealing blackjack because that’s the most popular table game.
Casino Dealer Salary Plus Tips
But in Europe, it’s more likely that you’ll start as a croupier — that’s the fancy name for the dealer running the roulette game.
The dice table is the toughest table game to be a dealer. Even after writing about craps for years, I still have to look things up. The action is fast, there are lots of bets on the table, and there’s just a lot to keep up with. Craps is the last game most dealers learn.
You’re responsible for maintaining your own gambling license, too. It’s similar to having a driver’s license if you’re going to drive for a company or a food handler’s permit if you’re going to cook for people.
If you have lousy credit and/or a criminal record, you might run into trouble getting your license.
By the way, I have a lady friend who dealt blackjack for years. She’s clueless when it comes to basic strategy. You’re not required to learn the correct strategies for the games you deal.
My advice to prospective dealers is to avoid giving advice to players. That’s a no-win situation because the players are going to lose their money in the long run because of the nature of the games. If they followed your advice, they’ll just blame you for this.
Who needs that kind of headache?
Conclusion
Casino Dealer Salary With Tips Tricks
If you like people, enjoy casino games, and don’t mind cigarette smoke, becoming a casino dealer might be the career for you. You don’t get to keep the money the players lose, but they’ll often tip you when they’re winning, so you’ll get to root for them.
You’ll make at least $15,000 a year dealing casino games, but you might make as much as $100,000 a year. I’ve seen reports of dealers who made more, but I’m skeptical, and you should be, too.
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.Why did you choose to become a table games dealer?
Community Answers
- 'To show my skill and improve more knowledge about gaming.'
- 'To improve more skill and ilike game.'
- 'I choose to become a table game dealer because I was exposed into this kind of environment whenever my friends are playing in and out of the casino because of that I suddenly had this interest to become a game dealer with this knowledge that I have.'
- 'I am technically proficient and giving customers superior service.'
- 'Environment, atmosphere, customers.'
- 'Because I love my working place to be full of energy, fun and enjoyment.'
- 'I believe to became a savy you should start from basic knowledge.'
- 'I love the excitement and dealing with people.'
- 'Because I think I can expand my skills and knowledge in this career.'
- 'The schedule but I am confident that I can work in rotating schedules.'
What do you like least about being a table games dealer?
Community Answers
- 'To meet a defferent kind of people .. And ilove gaming.'
- 'To dealing with customer have different moods.'
- 'Dealing with customers of different mood.'
- 'What I least like is when the players is not paying attentionto the game but I know to myself that I can drive the players interest in a polite manner.'
- 'When people lose there depressed faces.'
- 'Becouse games is not what I were luking for.'
- 'As my first time to this position, I can say the rotation schedule but I am confident that I can adjust myself and can work well.'
- 'The late shifts would be a strain at the beginning but as time goes by I would adjust.'
What do you like most about being a table games dealer?
Community Answers
- 'I think it is such as exciting, new avenue to progress down. There are many opportunities that arise from this job that I would be very excited to look forward to.'
- 'Ilove gaming .. Ilove intertament to see the customer happy.'
- 'Table games dealer injoy with Player when dealer deals game,'
- 'To dealing with different kind of customersand atmosphere.'
- 'What I love most with being a table games dealer is handling the game with enjoying players having a good game, encountering different citizens and practicing my mathematical skills every single day.'
- 'Dealing and customer service.'
- 'I like to see the reaction when people try to open their cards and see expressions after.'
- 'Interacting and communicating with people, keeping customers happy.'
- 'The atmosphere, the excitement, and dealing a winning hand.'
- 'Working with patrons and building a solid rapport. As well as learning new and interesting skills.'
Why should we hire you?
Community Answers
- 'I believe you should hire me because I am a hard worker who is reliable and quick. I am confident that I will be able to complete tasks efficiently and promote an enjoyable atmosphere.'
- 'I am hard working and personable person.'
- 'Because I am quick learner, Ability to hard work.'
- 'I am the one of this job and ilove game.'
- 'You should hire me because I feel comfortable and I believe that I will not going to feel tiredness because I enjoy being a dealer when my friends are playing some table games like poker.'
- 'Because I know all the games.'
- 'Very potential and high capabilities of management skills with practical proven.'
- 'Because I will give my 100% loyalty to the company and im trustworthy.'
- 'I love working with people. As the company offers great shows, family fun and gaming. I will take the company to the higher level.'
- 'I’ll be great at what I do.'
How would others describe you?
Community Answers
- 'Friendly person ... Hard working and smilling person.'
- 'I have been described by others as contentious, focused and responsible.'
- 'Friends family athers describe as motived confind and cool person.'
- 'Professional, team player, helpful, funny.'
- 'Others can decribe me as a person that is honest, loyal and easy to be with,'
- 'Loyal honest guy and full integrity and fun.'
- 'A genuine leader. Always optimistic.'
- 'Multi tasker, dedicated, focused, a fast learner, confident and a team worker.'
- 'Hard working, dependable and personable.'
- 'Easy going, diplomatic, result oriented, quick learner and hard working.'
Do you consider yourself a people person?
Community Answers
- 'Am friends and smilling person .'
- 'From my two years of working within a newsagency it has given me great customer service skills and has taught me how to keep up polite small talk.'
- 'I love people, I always put myself in the place of the customer in other to imagine what can please them.'
- 'Yes I use to be in casino often as I can.'
- 'Yes I am a people person, easy to blend into any situation and environment.'
- 'Yes, I love working with people.'
- 'I am, I do enjoy interacting with the public in any position I have been in.'
- 'Yes completely I love to know different people there nature it helps me to make more friends and learn how to deal with there problems.'
- 'I like to think I am, I enjoy meeting and getting to know new people. Making connections and networking while working is usually fun and rewarding.'
- 'Yes. I am a friendly person and I always love talks.'
Do you work well under pressure?
Community Answers
- 'I work great under pressure, throughout school I studied difficult, time consuming subjects that would often be due around the same time. This, however, would not stop me to succeed but instead push me to work harder. I have an impressive ability to focus and work hard when a stressful situation arises.'
- 'Yes I work very well under pressure.'
- 'Yes I am a person who smoothly handles work under pressure.'
- 'Yes I do, I have been living independently since 16 years old. I'
- 'It depends the pressure. If the framework of a job is well designed and serves in a fair way all the involved participants, then it is me that I puss pressure to myself.'
- 'It depends the pressure. If the framework of a job is well designed and serves in a fair way all the involved participants, then it is me that I puss pressure to myself.'
- 'Yes some time I do work under pressure.'
- 'I actually work better under pressure and I have found that I enjoy working in a challenging environment. I love to learn the new things everyday.'
- 'Ido love people .. Everytime iplace my side in the side of customer to imagine how to please them.'
- 'No so that it will not affect in my job.'
What kind of events cause you stress on the job?
Community Answers
- 'Do you have question to asks about me.'
- 'I've not come across any sort of stress.'
- 'Working with negative clients for the whole shift, no client to make my day, to brighten up my day. All of them in bad moods.'
- 'When my co-workers don't listen to me when I'm giving my opinion.'
- 'To working with negative clients for whole shift or to see the customer unhappy.'
- 'I think nothing I dont need to be stress in my job I enjoy it.'
- 'Schedule but I can manage after days or weeks that I adjusted.'
- 'To working with negetive clients... Or to see unhappy customers.'
- 'The event that cause stress on the job is not to be able to satisfy my customers.'
- 'When I see customers are unhappy.'
How do you stay focused on the game?
How do you avoid distractions while dealing?