A Gambler's Life For Me

Casino life can be two separate realities. On one end of the spectrum there are the gamblers. I have seen many people's lives destroyed by gambling. Some people get sucked in so deep that they actually lose everything that they have. On the other end of the spectrum, there are the casinos, which profit from these people whose lives are ruined. I have worked in a casino for six years and it has proved to be a very steady source of income. Although the community of the gaming industry has taken a lot away from many individuals, over the years it has provided people with more employment than ever before due to major rule changes and increased pay.


I have witnessed firsthand what a gambling addiction can do to a person. I have seen people lose their jobs because too much time is spent at the casino. I have watched people lose every last penny owned, leaving nothing left to make house payments, buy groceries, or pay bills. I have seen individuals divorce over their spouse losing all of their money. Although it is very sad, this is why casinos stay alive and in business. Sometimes “a community’s efforts to maintain stability and uniformity come at a cost to the individual” (Latterell 89). Some can make boundaries and decide when too much is too much. Gambling does not affect all people the same, but I have seen many lives ruined by a gambling addiction.


Although gambling has ruined some lives, the growing need for casinos does employ many. Jim has been in the casino industry since 1986. He started out in a poker room where "there were about three to four employees working at a time." He explained that there were no dealers; instead a customer would pay $2.50 every half of an hour to play poker. Then, the customers would take turns dealing the game. Whoever won would then tip the poker floor and this is how the employees made money. According to Jim, only poker rooms were allowed until the early 1990's. The Indian reservations were then allowed to have table games in their casinos. Not too long after that, mini casinos came along. When the mini casinos were opened, the Washington State Gambling Commission took complete control and enforced many different rules.


The first major rule changes that were made were the positions that must be filled. Each casino is responsible for having a cage/cashier, dealers, pit boss, security, and surveillance at all times that the casino is open for business. Most mini casinos around this area are open from about nine in the morning until six in the morning. Each mini casino also has anywhere from five to twelve table games. If more than seven tables are open at one time, there must be two pit bosses present. Obviously, the rules of gaming have changed over the years. Each shift has about twenty five positions to be filled rather than the three or four there was before. The gaming community provides many jobs.


The second major change that was made in the rules is the procedures that must be followed. Jim said "there were always gaming agents, but they only showed up about once a year. They would walk in; talk with us for a minute and leave." Now gaming agents are assigned to casinos and show up at least once a month. Agents check paperwork, employee's licenses and tip claims, surveillance tapes, watch dealers open and close tables, check procedures for opening new decks of cards and this is only the beginning! If one error is found, they must write up a long report stating everything that happened. Casinos can be fined for a number of reasons. The gambling commission will also do "stings" which consist of sending a minor into the building to see if security will check their ID, if a dealer will let them buy in on a table without checking the ID and if the pit boss will oversee this as well. Since there are so many more rules to be followed, there are also more jobs opened up for gaming agents. There are now more rules and procedures to be followed than there were before.


The third major change is the pay. Jim said that he "averaged about $24 an hour." Now, dealers make minimum wage plus tips, which averages about $200 per night. Most of the shifts I work are seven hours. This averages my wages out to be $37 an hour. This is on an average night. There have been countless nights I have made anywhere from $400 to $600. Average that out and I am making $65 to $94 an hour. Surveillance and security may not make a lot of money like dealers and pit bosses, but the more jobs there are available, the more people that are employed.


To conclude, gaming rules have changed immensely over the years. Small poker rooms started it all. While gambling has ruined many lives, it has provided more US citizens with jobs over the years than ever before. The rules and procedures have become more strict and intense than they were before. However, the gambling community provides thousands of jobs in Washington State.

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Casino life can be two separate realities. On one end of the spectrum there are the gamblers. I have seen many people's lives destroyed by gambling. Some people get sucked in so deep that they actually lose everything that they have. On the other end of the spectrum, there are the casinos, which profit from these people whose lives are ruined. I have worked in a casino for six years and it has proved to be a very steady source of income. Although the community of the gaming industry has taken a lot away from many individuals, over the years it has provided people with more employment than ever before due to major rule changes and increased pay.

I have witnessed first hand what a gambling addiction can do to a person. Individuals lose their jobs because too much time is being spent at casinos, away from work. Some go in so deep that they lose every penny that is owned, leaving no money left for house payments, groceries, or bills. Gambling has cost some their relationships, leaving spouses so angry that they want to divorce over the money situation. Although it is very sad, this is why casinos stay open and in business. Sometimes “a community’s efforts to maintain stability and uniformity come at a cost to the individual” (Latterell 89). Some can make boundaries and decide when too much is too much. Gambling does not affect all people the same, but I have seen many lives ruined by a gambling addiction.

Although gambling has ruined some lives, the growing need for casinos does employ many. Jim has been in the casino industry since 1986. He started out in a poker room where "there were about three to four employees working at a time." He explained that there were no dealers; instead a customer would pay $2.50 every half of an hour to play poker. Then, the customers would take turns dealing the game. Whoever won would then tip the poker floor and this is how the employees made money. According to Jim, only poker rooms were allowed until the early 1990's. The Indian reservations were then allowed to have table games in their casinos. Not too long after that, mini casinos came along. When the mini casinos were opened, the Washington State Gambling Commission took complete control and enforced many different rules. Comparing the rules and pay from then to now, it has changed completely.

The first major rule changes that were made were the positions that must be filled. Each casino is responsible for having a cage/cashier, dealers, pit boss, security, and surveillance at all times that the casino is open for business. Most mini casinos around this area are open from about nine in the morning until six in the morning. Each mini casino also has anywhere from five to twelve table games. If more than seven tables are open at one time, there must be two pit bosses present. Obviously, the rules of gaming have changed over the years. Each shift has about twenty five positions to be filled rather than the three or four there was before. The gaming community provides countless jobs compared to the beginning of gaming.

The second major change that was made in the rules is the procedures that must be followed. Jim said "there were always gaming agents, but they only showed up about once a year. They would walk in; talk with us for a minute and leave." Now gaming agents are assigned to casinos and show up at least once a month. Agents check paperwork, employee's licenses and tip claims, surveillance tapes, watch dealers open and close tables, check procedures for opening new decks of cards and this is only the beginning! If one error is found, they must write up a long report stating everything that happened. Casinos can be fined for a number of reasons. The gambling commission will also do "stings" which consist of sending a minor into the building to see if security will check their ID, if a dealer will let them buy in on a table without checking the ID and if the pit boss will oversee this as well. Since there are so many more rules to be followed, there are also more jobs opened up for gaming agents. There are now more rules and procedures to be followed than there were before.

The third major change is the pay. Jim said that he "averaged about $24 an hour." Now, dealers make minimum wage plus tips, which averages about $200 per night. Most of the shifts I work are seven hours. This averages my wages out to be $37 an hour. This is on an average night. There have been countless nights I have made anywhere from $400 to $600. Average that out and I am making $65 to $94 an hour. Surveillance and security may not make a lot of money like dealers and pit bosses, but the more jobs there are available, the more people that are employed. The pay has increased greatly since Jim first started in the gaming community.

Gaming rules have changed immensely over the years. Small poker rooms started it all. While gambling has ruined many lives, it has provided more US citizens with jobs over the years than ever before. The rules and procedures have become more strict and intense than they were before. However, the gambling community provides thousands of jobs in Washington State.