October 7, 2011

Winning work: At area casinos, job openings are a safe bet

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By Katie OrmsbySpecial to NWjobs

It used to be casinos were exclusively about gambling. They had table games, slot machines, maybe a bar. These days, casinos have transformed into all-inclusive entertainment destinations. And with this trend, career opportunities have also expanded.

In addition to 52,000 square feet of gaming space, Snoqualmie Casino, for example, boasts a nightclub, concert venue, cigar lounge, gift shop, martini and wine bar, coffee shop and four restaurants. Career paths range from dealers and slot attendants to chefs and shuttle drivers.

Demand for new hires remains consistent. Sandra Miedema, Snoqualmie’s employment coordinator, says the casino averages about 20 open positions at any given time. While there are many career opportunities, she points to a few jobs as exceptionally in demand.

“Like most of our competitors,” Miedema says, “we are always in need of outstanding dealers, servers and cooks.”

Employment opportunities are expected to grow. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the casino industry is projected to increase 14 percent by 2018.

Adam Bartruff, a table-games dealer at Snoqualmie, recently entered the field because he wanted a fun job. He says he loves it for three reasons: “It combines people, numbers and games.”

Though Bartruff went to college on and off for six years, he had trouble finding a degree that he wanted to complete.

“It was tough to find a job without experience or a degree,” he says. “So I started thinking about less-traditional avenues, like cruise lines. But what would I do? Becoming a table-games dealer seemed like an interesting option.”

Bartruff was right. His highlights include receiving a sizable tip from a regular customer who won a huge jackpot. But he’s also had some strange experiences. “One morning, I had a customer who had been gambling for about two days straight — little food, lots of drinks,” Bartruff says. “He passed out at my table.”

Todd Tiedemann worked in the casino industry for more than 10 years in various positions, including table-games dealer, poker dealer, shift manager and floor supervisor. He now owns the Seattle Gaming Academy.

He was drawn to casinos because they offer careers that aren’t traditional 9-to-5 jobs. “I was able to go to school while working at a casino,” Tiedemann says. “Then when my daughter was born, I was able to find a workable schedule. There’s usually quite a bit of flexibility.”

Many casinos are open 24 hours a day, but that doesn’t mean employees have inconsistent schedules. Rather, most of the staff is assigned a steady shift. At Snoqualmie, Miedema says employees have the option of three shifts: day, swing or graveyard.

Wages and tips vary depending on the casino. Tiedemann has worked for small and large establishments, including Tulalip Resort Casino. He says both have pros and cons: “With smaller casinos, you tend to make minimum wage. You usually keep all of your tips, though. Tribal casinos tend to pay more, but they pool tips.”

Miedema says every position at Snoqualmie is paid above the state’s minimum hourly wage, and tips are often shared among a team.

Tiedemann points out that it’s easy to pick up stakes and relocate with casino work, whether moving to the other side of the state or across the country. For example, the Spokane area offers a range of opportunities at Northern Quest Resort and Casino.

Al Prudente, Northern Quest’s vice president of human resources, says there are typically about 15 open positions. “We don’t need dealers so much, but there is more frequently a need for housekeeping and food and beverage employees,” he says.

What does it take to get into the field? Most casino jobs don’t require any formal education beyond a high school diploma or GED, but anyone interested in working on the gaming floor should be prepared to show their abilities during a mandatory audition.

Bartruff studied at the Seattle Gaming Academy to make sure that he was ready. “The school’s testing was really similar to my casino audition,” Bartruff said. “Actually, I think the practice audition was tougher.”

The Seattle Gaming Academy opened six years ago and presents a hands-on casino atmosphere. It offers two courses of study — a blackjack program and a poker program. The former includes instruction in the differences between similar table games, such as Double Action, Match the Dealer and Lucky Lady Blackjack. The poker program focuses on Texas Hold ’em and Omaha.

“Our facility is about 1,000 square feet, and all of our tables are regulation size,” says Tiedemann, the owner.

Students set their own schedule, coming in for about eight hours each week. Tiedemann says the school tracks the students’ progress, which allows them to come and go but ensures that they learn every component of the program. No gaming knowledge is required.

“Our students are honestly almost 50/50, meaning about half have never even set foot in a casino before,” says Tiedemann. “We teach them everything they need to know.” He recalls successful students of every skill level and age, from barely 18 to more than 60 years old. In Washington, 18-year-olds can work in casinos that allow 18-year-olds to enter; otherwise, the employee must be 21.

Students spend about two weeks learning the basics of many games before entering the evaluation stage, in which the instructor stops them periodically with feedback and corrections. Finally, the test audition is administered and successful students earn their certificate of completion.

“We’ve heard from past students and casinos that our graduates are prepped well for actual auditions,” Tiedemann says. “In fact, we have close to a 100-percent hire rate.”

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