A Degree in Gambling? You Bet!

Fancy a career in the gambling industry but don't know how to get started? A course at the UK's National Gaming Academy (NGA) might be just the right place to get the ball rolling.

The NGA was launched in January 2008 with three campuses: at Blackpool and the Fylde College, an associate of Lancaster University; at Greenwich Community College in London; and at North Warwickshire and Hinckley College.

Previously, it existed as the Blackpool and Fylde College Regional Gaming Academy, which existed for two years before the launch of the NGA. The Blackpool campus offers six courses:

Foundation degree in casino management
Validated by Lancaster University, this is a two-year, full-time course (or four years for part-timers). Its stated aim is to develop knowledge, understanding and critical awareness of the gaming industry, and to prepare its students for employment in a variety of jobs in the gaming industry.

Classes include: Gaming in the UK context; Security Management within the Casino Environment; Operations Management (for the UK Gaming industry); and Regional and Local Considerations in UK Gaming (Trends and Developments).

Foundation degree in gaming machine technology
Obviously focusing on the technological side of the gaming industry, this two-year course offers classes dealing with topics such as: Mechanism and Coin Operation Technology; Law for the Leisure/Gaming Industry; Networking Principles and Progressive Gaming Systems; Health and Safety and Risk Assessment; and Security Systems and Fraud Detection.

City and guilds level 3 coin slot
A one-year course without university accreditation aimed at those looking to find their way straight into a job, the Coin Slot Engineer/Technician course teaches students how to carry out the duties of an engineer/technician to a level 3 technician standard.

BTEC intermediate and advanced diplomas in casino operations
These two courses are aimed at existing casino personnel wanting to upgrade their supervisory and management skills.

Gaming floor operative
Running for a length of half-a-year, this is an intensive course combining the Advanced Diploma in Casino Operations and the City and Guilds Level 3 Coin Slot course.

Real casino atmosphere
With facilities including a training casino, coin slot workshops and a hospitality area, the Blackpool school is designed to give its students a feel of already being in a real casino.

In accordance with the recent push by British casinos to ensure the earn income from bars, restaurants, gaming machines and other attractions, rather than just the traditional gambling pursuits such as poker and blackjack, the NGA's schools offer the students a wide range of courses on the gambling industry.

And who knows, maybe in a few years time the academy will begin to attract students from abroad, who will then bring their new skills back to the gambling industry in their country of origin.