The Truth about Gambling Careers
One of the world's largest industries offers some great career opportunities. The trick is finding and making the right connections. Here are some pointers.
Casino workers seem to belong to an exclusive club. They flit around the world from casino to casino, spinning the roulette wheels, handling the chips as though they were born with them, know the answer to any gambling question you can think of, have eyes in the back of their heads and always look great, especially the females of the species. Some of the men are okay too.
What a job, I always think. Why don't I have a job like that? Great food and drinks, stunning atmosphere, nice music and those clothes...
On second thought
But all is not sunshine. In today's world of online gambling the bulk of the workers are probably software writers, hunched over their computers in some dim un-air-conditioned basement trying to figure a way to stop card counting in blackjack or making the reels on a new slots game conform to the correct odds.
There's another point about online gambling jobs. Because of the ban on online gambling in some countries, many operating companies have either moved underground or moved to offshore locations. Underground may be your own home out in the suburbs, and while working from home is considered desirable and saves on gas, there is little casino glamour involved. The best you can do is to hang up a few posters and make believe.
Somewhere in the world
The next alternative may be worse. The company you work for may be in Gibraltar, Antigua, Barbados or Cyprus. This may be romantic for the first few months or even the first year, but these places can be quite grim in terms of social activities, a normal life and regular food.
So when you are searching for a gambling career, be picky and choose carefully. Remember that the odds are stacked against you!
