According to a report in the Cyprus Mail newspaper today, course for casino jobs will be offered by the University of Nicosia.
With Cyprus’ planned new casino allowing up to 200 gaming tables and 2000 slot machines, experts predict more than one thousand jobs will be up for grabs.
Courses offered by the University of Nicosia aim to ensure that when the casino starts hiring, their graduates will be first in line for a job.
“The casino will be open 24/7,” said Yianna Orphanidou who heads the hotel and tourism programmes at the University of Nicosia. “And shifts in this profession are only six hours, so four shifts are going to be covered every day.”
She also explained that many jobs are going to open because there is a strict hierarchy in casino management.
“You need a supervisor for every few tables, security and different people for the slot machines,” she said, adding that she expects that there will be more than 1000 jobs in the new casino.
The university runs two courses. The first, under the vocational training arm of Intercollege, offers training for those who want to work as slot technicians, slot attendants, casino dealers and casino surveillance. Training takes place in a special ‘casino lab’ and it has already produced graduates who have found work in the casino industry abroad.
In addition, an undergraduate programme under the hospitality management branch of the University of Nicosia concentrates on casino management. This also includes 40 hours of practical experience in the lab as managers must have a basic knowledge of gaming.
Invited to a taster training session at the lab which has eight multipurpose tailor-made gaming tables, I was introduced to the dos and don’ts of the casino industry.
The first thing students learn is roulette, as it is considered the most difficult game. I soon found out that there is much more than just spinning the wheel and calling out a winning number.
To spin the wheel, you have got to spin the ball in one direction, and the wheel in the opposite. And you have to do it gently, otherwise you might end up with the ball flying around the room, landing on the floor and you looking extremely unprofessional.
We were then asked to play the game, as the best way to become a professional is to practise.
Croupiers are not allowed to shake people’s hands, so they can’t cheat and hand money to the customers in the process (or vice versa). For much the same reason, they also don’t have pockets in their uniforms. In short, everything is done to avoid cheating, I was told. This is reflected in the lab where everything is above board. The tables have the university logo and even the chips do so that no one is tempted to use them in any casino.
In real casinos, customers have to be 21 and are asked to show an ID at the entrance.
Security cameras are an important part of the outfit, especially in areas where cash is handled.
Iannis Papademetriou, an instructor at the lab, has had 21 years of experience in the profession, including working on a ship with 6,700 passengers. He says one of the most important factors in running a successful casino is team work. If the manager doesn’t work together with his staff nor the staff all work together well, it will create big problems in an environment where so much money is at stake and so many customers are involved.
“General customer service skills are important, such as greeting a customer by their name if possible and to be friendly but not overfriendly,” he said. “When you are behind the table you want the customer to win, because people who win will give you tips.”
He said the starting salary for a trainee dealer wage is €1200, but it is a profession where you can work your way up.
“You have to be professional and have good observation and interpersonal skills as you may need to be tough one moment – barring a customer who doesn’t keep to the rules – and friendly the next when dealing with a very different situation.”
Asked what he did when people lose and start crying, he said that dealers do not get involved.
“Customers know what they are doing, whether they win or lose. It is their money,” he said.
Orphanidou agreed casino staff do rise through the ranks, but said it was not easy to become a manager as you have to gain the trust of the establishment. Managers also have to know all aspects of gaming, hence the practical part of the hotel management programme.
“It is a tough job,” she explained. “You need to be focused, and there is usually a lot of noise in the room. You need mathematical skills and also just the right touch with the customers, firm but friendly.”
She added that people are only allowed to work in a casino if they have a clean criminal record which is thoroughly checked at all times.
At the casino lab in Nicosia, the aim is to equip students with enough knowledge that they can start working in a casino right away.
The training courses focus on three main areas. The first is to become a casino dealer or croupier. A casino dealer needs to know three basic games to get a job: roulette, poker and blackjack. Any other games dealers need to know for particular casino will be taught at the workplace.
Since roulette is the most difficult to learn, 110 hours of the students’ time are spent with this game, and the remaining 100 with blackjack and poker.
There are several types of roulette, there is the French/European kind with one zero on the wheel, and the American with two zeros opposite each other. The programme in Nicosia follows the European format.
As with roulette, there is not just poker, but all its variations such as draw poker, community card poker and stud poker. Of course, to spice things up for players – and to make professional training harder – there are many kinds of blackjack as well.
A second option is to train as a slot technician and slot attendant, which takes about a week of training.
Another possibility is to study casino security and surveillance, as good security staff is vital for a casino. Because of the large amount of cash that is around, the temptation to cheat is high for both staff and patrons. Trained professionals patrol on the ground, and others watch surveillance cameras. Further duties are transporting money and overseeing payments. To get trained for this takes eight days or 70 hours.
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