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How Much Does A Casino Host Make A Year

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At the beginnining of the year or quarter hosts are given a benchmark, a number that represents how much money they need to bring into the casino for that time period. If a host meets their goal they will receive a bonus. Executive Casino Host Salaries in United States: $52K (median). 60 LinkedIn members shared this salary.

Like any job, $65k (or whatever they make) is an AVERAGE. Too often, people see that money and think that's what they're going to make on Day 1. Yes, some people will make $30k as a host. Others will make $200k. Steve Bourie's answer is very good. The casinos I worked at stopped using dollar value to the comp value of a player. Instead they went to a point value. It has been a few years.

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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: Seneca niagara casino poker tournament schedule.

How Much Does A Casino Host Make A Year Without

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.

Luckily, you'll make more money from gamblers' tips.

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.

Dreams

Even then, some high rollers don't tip — or if they tip, they don't tip well at all.

How Much Does A Casino Host Make A Year Cost

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.

How Much Does A Casino Host Make A Year

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.

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.

Make

Even then, some high rollers don't tip — or if they tip, they don't tip well at all.

How Much Does A Casino Host Make A Year Cost

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.

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

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.

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Contents

How Much Does A Casino Host Make A Year Ago

  • 3 Benefits of Having a Host
If you visit casinos with any regularity, you should have a casino host assigned to your account. Even if you are not actually staying at a casino hotel, you will still be able to derive a number of benefits from having a personal host. Your life will be made easier, your experience will be improved, and you will most likely be able to earn more bang for your buck. Unless you play poker exclusively, any regular player will have a chance to be assigned a host.

What is a Casino Host?

A casino host is a personal casino representative. Instead of calling reservations to book a room, or calling restaurants to book a reservation, your host will be able to take care of everything for you. If you are in a casino, there will usually be a designated host on duty that can help you at any hour, even if you don't have one assigned to you.

Hosts are not usually on the casino floor like dealers or floor people. They will greet you and stop by if you are playing, but they do not have any other job beyond making sure their players are taken care of. At some casino properties, there will be different tiers of hosts, where higher value players are assigned to more experienced hosts.

Have a Host Assigned

If you only play low limit blackjack or slots a few times per year, the odds are that you won't have a host assigned. If you ask for one, the casino may find a host for you, but it will largely defeat the purpose as they won't have a lot to offer you. Look at it this way, the host if your own butler when you are planning a trip to, or are currently at a casino. If your play is valuable enough to the casino, they will assign you said butler. If you are an infrequent, low limit player, this is not an expense they are looking to spare.

Casinos handle their host programs differently depending on the property. Some will meet you face to face while you are playing. Others will give you a call or email to establish a line of contact. If you have put in a decent amount of gambling volume at a casino but still don't have a host (or one that you know of), the next step is to reach out.

If you are at a casino, visiting the host office is your best play for obtaining a host. Sometimes you will already have on your account, but they simply didn't contact you. Other times a host will need to be located for you. Most casinos have dozens of hosts (depending on their size), so one should be available for your immediate assistance. Once you finally have a casino host, the next step is understanding what benefits you will now be able to realize.

Benefits of Having a Host

How Much Does A Casino Host Make A Year Party

The tricky part about having a host is that there is a lot of give and take. Do the hosts want to see you play a lot at their casino? Yes, of course. Do they want to see you lose? No, though some incorrectly believe this to be the case. The ultimate goal of any host is to ensure that you are kept happy during your visit.

Try to be reasonable about what you should expect as a player. If you are playing $100/spin high limit slots for hours on end, your host will likely offer you unlimited room charges, but if you are playing smaller games, they will draw the line at a lower limit.

Convenience

Convenience is what a host is all about. They will arrange a ride for you, book show tickets, book your rooms, arrange restaurant reservations, and cater to just about every need you have. Within reason, a host will do anything (non monetary) that improves your stay, even if you aren't a high limit player. This measure of convenience is why players of almost any limit will benefit from having their own host

Casino Offers

If you have a host, they will generally be able to cater specific offers to your play. For example, they can make sure you are the first to know about a gift card and free play giveaway. Perhaps the casino you are playing at is going to be sold out for New Years. If you are a consistent player, your host will reach out to make sure you have a room available if you are looking for one. Offers come in the mail all the time, but a good host will make sure you are always able to book the ones that you want before they fill up.

Comped Rooms

Comped rooms are much, much easier to obtain if you have a host. Calling the reservations line will not usually net you a free room, especially without an explicit offer. A host, however, can bypass this and book a room on your behalf. Plus, this is less likely to impact your future offers than if you book via the marketing department. The host should be your friend, so always try to book a room with them first before you call the hotel itself.

Comped Meals

As is the case with rooms, a host will be able to offer you more in the way of free food than the casino will give you by default. Sure, the casino may allow you to use your comps to pay for any room or dining charges, but a host can comp an amount above and beyond this. Ask ahead and your host should be able to tell you how much comp money they can allocate for meals.

Extra Benefits

A quality host will get to know you personally. As a result, they will have the ability to give you some extra perks where they see fit. For example, you may receive a free play offer or a bottle of wine on your birthday. They may even surprise you with a gift on Christmas. These are the sort of added benefits that only a host can deliver.





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