University
of Nevada Las Vegas Professor Jim Kilby began his career in the gaming industry in 1969 and has occupied various
managerial positions including Floorman, Shift Manager, Casino Manager and Vice
President of Casino Operations at the Tropicana Hotel, Las Vegas Hilton, Dunes
and several major casinos in the Caribbean. Since joining the faculty at
UNLV in 1986, Mr. Kilby has worked as a gaming consultant for many of the
largest casino operations in the United States, South Africa, Australia and
Malaysia. His list of publications include: "Using Table Games Hold
as a Management Tool", "Creating an Objective Player Rating
System" and "Estimating Revenue Through Bet Criteria". Jim
teaches Casino courses.
He
co-authored the text, Casino Operations Management
Scott
Cameron CasinoDealers.Net:
Professor
Kilby, thank you for taking the time to do
this. We will attempt to limit our bitching and
complaining to a minimum 
In your opinion, what would you say
is the greatest guest service challenge facing today's casino operations managers?
Scott,
we call it Management by line item. Every department is trying
to generate as much profit as possible. In virtually all departments, the largest expense line
item is payroll. Therefore, payroll is always vulnerable to cuts. The mistake we always make is assuming that, regardless of
what we do to expenses, the top line (or revenue line) will remain unchanged. Unfortunately
this isn't so. The expense lines drive the revenue. When we make cuts in personnel, service suffers. The challenge facing
management is one of commitment. That is, management must be committed to providing the best
service possible and believing that with service comes the highest profits. Sadly, it is near impossible to quantify the effect of
service on the bottom line.
Some say craps is a dying
game or craps does not pull its weight. I agree with those who think that any staple offered up in a casino with correct internal marketing will undoubtedly pull its weight. However, I
realize that for the average non-casino background manager (or accountant) learning the ins and outs of the game of craps can be daunting (and possibly beneath them). Much easier just to market slots and then point out the financial weak points of the dice game as it continues its inevitable decline.
Agree? Is it not a question of marketing?
Yes, we can market dice and increase interest. However, our job as manager is to maximize profit. You could make the same marketing argument with the games Faro, Fan Tan, Red Dog, and Klondyke to name a few.
These games have disappeared yet if we put them on the floor today we will have players. And the dealers could argue that it is management’s fault for the lack of interest. But you, as manager, what games are you going to remove to make room? If you travel throughout the world you will find virtually no dice games outside the U.S. A few years ago, the late Ned Day, a columnist with the Review-Journal said that to increase the play on dice we needed a 3rd world war. His article addressed the demise of dice and he said that most of the players in the 40s, 50s, and 60s learned to play craps in the military. I think that a world war is a little extreme. I am a dice fan.
There is no more an exciting game than dice. However, the demographics of our customers are changing and we have to change with them. The future of the casino is in slots. I’m sure I will offend many with this comment but it is the truth. Today’s customers were raised on electronic games and the real innovations in gaming are in the electronic versions. I am not going to be silly enough to say, “We must keep dice at all costs.” The customer decides what they want to play and they are slowly losing interest in dice.
As far as pricing, we offer the best dice game ever. We offer between 3/4/5 odds and 100x odds. When I started in 1969, most of the casinos offered only single odds. We now charge the commission on buy bets only when the player wins the bet versus 100% of the time and our prop box and field bets offer the best payouts. So what do you propose we do to market the game? We have dice instructions and bill boards
marketing dice throughout the valley yet dice play is decreasing. Why? Because every product has a life cycle: Introduction, Growth, Maturity, and Decline. Dice is in the decline stage.
The elimination of the box supervisors. A casino provides gaming services through undocumented transactions. Due to the nature of these transactions, the casino has a responsibility to both it's employees and guests to provide adequate supervision.
If you look at the budget for any casino company, you won't find a figure for potential losses to
theft or error will they Mr Kilby? Some argue that such theft / error
will not cost the casino as much as salaries and benefits that were paid to
those guys?
The state of Nevada lets the operator make
the business decisions. I do not
agree with the elimination of boxmen but it is an easy expense to identify and, if you are managing by line item, eliminate. One
can never quantify the true value of a boxman. This is a case of common sense.
I
think everyone agrees that when employees are happy with their work environment,
customer service is at a premium.
Many dealers are not very happy. They abide by the "dummy up and
deal" mentality. The biggest complaint they seem to have are working in
casinos that "sweat the money" You're a numbers guy, what's up?
Ridiculous.... ridiculous. Sweating accomplishes
nothing desirable. When one sees the casino advantage of a game, for instance roulette, they will see
5.26%. There is no 5.26% with an " *
" saying unless we only allow the luckiest dealers to deal.
No, we win 5.26% period. We
can control whether the customer visits the property with our marketing. We can influence how
long the customer plays with customer service and making him feel welcome. We CANNOT control whether he wins or loses.
In fact,
when we "sweat" we are actually making the player feel uncomfortable and will hasten his
departure.
I broke-in at the Golden Gate and then worked at the Silver Slipper. If you lost 3 hands in a row you were relieved before you had
a chance to deal the 4th hand (it wasn't really this bad but it seemed that way).
I tell my
students: be happy when the player wins and be sad when the player loses because you had absolutely nothing to do with it. I
also tell my students "we are circle managers." Our job is to get the money to the circle. What
happens once the money is in the circle is in the hands of the God of luck.
I could go on and on about sweating because it is such
a ridiculous practice. If we buy into unlucky dealers maybe we are misdirected. Maybe we
have unlucky lookers or maybe unlucky managers of the lookers. I have a memo from the
G.M. at the Maxim that was sent to his staff. The subject was "stoppers." The
G.M. went on to say that at the beginning of each shift, the shift manager should identify his lucky dealers (the
G.M. called them stoppers). If a player started winning they were to bring in the stoppers.
The memo also says that when a player starts winning we "must do something." Unfortunately this Neanderthal mentality is still
alive and well in casino
operations.
What IS the most important function of a casino floor supervisor?
Many floorpeople seeking employment are always asked this question. What answer are they looking
for if they can only choose between game protection or customer service?
Scott,
If you were to ask a floorman what is his "job", he would answer, "game protection."
That might have been the case 30 years ago, but not today. The most important function of the floorman is a marketing
function. For a table game department to be successful, they must have an accurate player rating
system. The ratings are generated by the floorman and rating the players is the most important function of today's
supervisor. Needless to say this isn't the only function, but if you were to rank the
functions by importance, player rating would be number one.
When it comes time
for a casino to seek a floor supervisor, in your opinion, is it best to promote from within where a
dealer is familiar with policy and procedures or best to hire an experienced floor
supervisor from the outside?
I think you should always promote from within. Hiring
from the outside often destroys moral which reflects on customer service. Virtually all my students who are
employed in the industry hope to advance into management. They believe they can work their way up
within the organization.
To advance within a casino, management must provide a "vehicle for advancement." That is, employees must know what it
takes to advance. This
"vehicle" must be what management believes is important to the organization.
Some casinos might believe that a stable work force is
most important. In this situation, they will promote the employee with the most seniority. It
signals to the other employees that, to be promoted, you need to stay at the company and your "turn" will eventually come. Other
casinos may believe that the most ambitious employees should be promoted. Regardless of the "vehicle"
chosen by management, they must be consistent. In other words, in one case promoting the most senior employee while in the next
case promoting the employee that plays golf with the casino manager sends the wrong signal to
the employee; they don't know how to advance. In either case, promoting from within is the reward for doing what management sees as
important.
I
agree but what do we tell those who are currently employed as a table games
supervisor? You better keep that job because you'll more than likely
start over as a dealer should you find yourself unemployed? Many
floormen haven't dealt for a number of years and may not have the necessary
skills to attain a good dealing job in a decent house in order to
"start over" besides, why should they?
Unfortunately there is lateral movement at the top and
at the bottom but not much in the middle. Dealers have opportunities at other properties and so do
VPs but those in the middle fall victim to the "promote from within" practice. During the 1990s we had several new casino
openings and with those openings came opportunity for advancement. However, the only new property of
any size on the horizon is Wynn Resort. In the absence of new openings, it is important for a dealer to choose the right company
with the opportunity for advancement.
Years ago, when Bill Harrah was alive, Harrah's had a policy of not hiring anyone who had any experience. He wanted all
break-ins. His attitude was that if you were going to learn any bad habits you would at least learn them
at Harrah's and not bring them along from a previous employer. Those same break-ins knew they could advance to the top at
Harrah's and many did.
There is no easy "what do we tell those" answer. The casino is going to do what is best for itself and that means promoting from
within. Consequently don't expect much opportunity until new properties open. Back to my "vehicle for
advancement." In order to get employees to do what is desirable, they must be rewarded. This reward comes in the form of
promotion. Therefore, management must promote from within which means little opportunity to those
outside the organization.
Do
you favor dealers getting hired with "juice" or do you feel that
it is a question of ethics?
When I broke-in during the late 60s, the only way you
could get a strip job was to have juice. I think it is o.k. for the "juice" to help you get an
interview but I believe you should be hired on your merits and experience. I have helped many of my students get interviews and
many were later hired. In every case, I expect those I have helped to be the best employees and not
expect their "juice" to help them whatsoever once they have gotten hired.
Table
for table tokes. Dealers able to keep their own gratuities. This was a
"dead horse" issue in Las Vegas, that is until a few west coast Indian casinos have revived this
platform recently. Your thoughts?
I have no idea why they would go down that road. I
would venture to say that
it won't take long for them to revert to the pooled system. I would guess that the big operations, i.e., Foxwoods and Mohican
Sun pool their tips;
Las
Vegas experienced operators set them up.
I have never worked table-for-table. When I started in
1969, all the casinos forced the dealers to pool their tokes. Personally, I think allowing the
dealers to go table-for-table would be a disaster for management. How could you possibly
schedule fairly? How are you going to let everyone have their fair shot at the higher minimum games? What is the
dealer going to do if the player is a "stiff?" The dealer may say they are going
to be extra nice but, in reality, they are either going to be rude or they are going to ask the
player to tip.
In the mid 80s, I worked at the Tropicana. The Trop allowed the dice dealers
to go table for table. On one occasion, a secretary in casino marketing's father was hustled at the dice game and I was asked by
management to investigate. The girl's father was the only player at the game. He had lost
several hundred the night before. While at the game he was up a few hundred but still loser for the trip. One of the base dealers
asked the father "how about a tip for the boys." He said he would tip when he was ready. Later the
other base dealer asked the first dealer out loud "what did he say?", the dealer replied "he said he would tip when he was
ready." Keep in mind this was done directly in front of the player and was done so simply to embarrass
the player. Needless to say he was pissed. I spoke to the boxman; he didn't hear anything. Why didn't the boxman hear anything?
Because he was being what we call "pieced off" meaning the dealers would
give him part of their tokes if he turned his head. I would never argue in
favor of table-for-table. Also, a common way dice dealers steal tips is to advise an
inexperienced player. Example, during the course of play, the dealer may ask
the player "how about making a 2-way eleven." The player asks, "what does
that mean?" The dealer replies "your are betting the next throw is an eleven." The dealer fails to say the "2-way" part
means half for the dealers and half for the player.
It is argued that to be friendly, dealers must be paid via tipping. I argue that you should hire friendly dealers. I was raised in
Oklahoma. Part of my rearing was to be friendly to everyone. I practice that training to this
day.
The casinos started really pooling
tips I guess around 1980. By 1990, dealers going for their own was just about over.
What happened Professor Kilby? Why do most Las Vegas casino dealers pool
their tokes? Why are they (we) the only hotel casino employee that receive gratuities
from customers forced to pool the tips?
I think they pooled their tips long before 1980. As I
said, in 1969 it was institutionalized in Las Vegas. As a dealer, I would prefer to work in a
place that pools rather than table-for-table. Pooling is the fairest approach for all dealers. Dealers were forced to pool
because of the problems mentioned in the previous question. Other departments force the
pooling of tips. For instance, the valets pool tips. I wasn't around when pooling started but I'm sure it was because of abuses
by employees. As they say "necessity is the mother of invention." Management found a need to force
pooling.
We
keep hearing about "The good old
days" how much better was the casino business was back 20-30 years ago.
What is your take on that argument especially the relationship to customer
service?
I
keep hearing about "the good old days." I believe things are much
better today in respect to job security, job opportunity, and customer
service. When I started
in 1969, you only needed to be a good "clerk" to get hired. We never
heard the term customer service. I remember security actually throwing people
out of the
casino back in the "good old days." We had more demand than supply so
it really didn't matter how you treated the customer.
Back in "the good old days" we had a small industry with relatively
few customers. Today gaming is huge. Consequently, we have customers that come
to Las Vegas once every 2 years and we don't have the opportunity to get to know
them. I believe this customer service buzz has been beaten to death. I think we
should just adopt the golden rule "do unto others as you would have them do
unto you."
Boy,
you sure got that right. Thank
you again professor Kilby. We appreciate your time and effort. Are you
ready to face the wolves?
Scott:
I will answer any question I can.
Please encourage them to ask whatever they like.
YOUR
QUESTIONS
"B"
Dealer Reno, NV
What
is the Hard Rock (LV)
doing right that enables those dealers to have the opportunity to make so much
in a pooled tokes system? Or should I say what are we doing wrong? Do they have
a better customer service program or is it better marketing?
I really think it is a combination of the
high level of action and the demographics of the players. The players are younger, on
average, and are probably more generous as well. Combined with a relatively small pit
with fewer ways to cut and you have a high toke job.
FR
Stockholm, Sweden
Low
morale breeds complacency in customer service, policy and procedures. To allow ourselves to become complacent in our
jobs we are doing a disservice. We are, after all, responsible for the assets of the corporation as well as the safety and security
fellow employees and our patrons. In your travels have you ever found a
successful casino employee motivation program out there somewhere that comes to
mind that senior casino executives may want to investigate when it comes to
motivating pit staff?
I have not personally found any exceptional
motivation program. Personally I believe motivation must start at the top. Each level from V.P.
down must realize it is their responsibility to motivate those under their direct management. Money is not a motivator. Studies
have consistently shown that the absence of money dissatisfies while the presence does not satisfy.
As I said earlier, management must provide a "vehicle for advancement" and must adhere to this means of betterment. Those choosing a career in casino operations want to know how to advance and it is up to management to provide the direction. I believe this is the best tool to motivate.
JJ
Howard Table games supervisor
Will
you respond to an article written on our message board that disagrees with your
opinion about the
demise of casino craps.
"An
open letter to professor Kilby" Please Click
here
I don't have an answer. As I
said, we have reduced the price of the game to levels with an unbelievably low casino advantage. Price cutting itself might be adding to the game's
demise. Each table is competing with all others for square footage. The game wins
that generates the most profit. In our desperation to get players, price-cutting might be working against the game by making it less
profitable than other options. Our knee-jerk reaction is always to cut price (reduce
the casino advantage). Be extremely careful when you start decreasing the game's advantage over the player. You will often find that it does not
increase play. However, going in the other direction (increasing the casino advantage) will certainly lose
players.
Another question that comes to mind is the "Anne"
post in the same thread where she suggests renaming a number of the wagers offered. Not that I agree
with some of her suggestions but COULD a casino rename some of the wagering options
on a craps table?
She has an interesting take on the game. Might
not hurt to change the names. I'm sure the names evolved through the decades. Maybe changing the names would help one casino differentiate the
product from its competitors.
FT
Dealer Atlantic City, NJ
Should a proficient multi-game
[craps/roulette] dealer deserve more base salary than those who only deal one or two card games?
Theoretically yes. You have more skills so
you should earn more. However, as long as there are unemployed multiple game dealers on the street
don't expect more pay. It is a buyer's market. You are receiving a benefit in a way; that is, it should be easier for you to get
a job.
DY
? Las Vegas, NV
A
friend of mine claims the casino he works at the shift managers have staff look
at some of the surveillance tapes on what to watch out for. He feels they all
learn good information that helps in game protection and guest services. They
looked at cheating scams, employee theft and they also looked at situations
where one guest would steal from another on the game. I brought this up at one
of our staff meetings and our Casino Manager said: "Not a chance" -
"The liability is not worth the risk and asked that the subject not come up
anymore."
What
are your feelings about this?
I don't understand that comment. Part of
our job in operations is to minimize theft. I would think the more we know the easier that task would
be. There is no better way to learn than to see actual video of the act. I have taught game protection in the past. I would be
lost without actual video.
SWC
Table games supervisor Las Vegas, NV
The
challenge is when dealers and floor staff see what they do as “just a job,” the level of
service and commitment is questionable. If
the industry had more people that looked at table games as a career and not a
rest stop, management would have less to stress about and guests would get more
attention. True?
True. I always felt that when you hire, or
promote, you should be hiring/promoting for the next position. That is, if you do not think the
dealer has the potential to be a good floorman, you shouldn't hire that person as a dealer. In the real world it is extremely difficult to provide a career opportunity for someone who wants to be V.P. of Casino Operations. It
is like a big funnel with a tiny hole. Everyone can't squeeze through the hole. What I mean is that you may not live long enough
to become a V.P. because there are so many at the bottom and so few at the top.
"Dicegod"
Lav Vegas, NV
We have two
shift managers that know very little about craps. Surprisingly, they even admit
it. Both are college grads in marketing. I know you are a professor at UNLV. Do
you advise your students to learn to deal live games before they seek a
managerial position in casino operations?
Here is my take. A floorman is expected to
step into the game and correct any errors. I can't envision anyone handling this position without
having dealt. However, a shift manager's position is to manage those, who manage those, who deal. Therefore this position
requires more management and less technical skills. When I first broke-in the casino manager "had to have dealt all three games." In class we talk about the management pyramid. As one advances up the pyramid he needs more management and less technical skills. For a shift manager, I want the smartest person I can find. What
they lack technically they can pick up reasonably quick.
"G"
Table games supervisor, Incline Village, NV
As per your answer to Scott’s question about table games supervisors and limited lateral movement because casinos should
promote from within, you and the casinos that adopt this attitude are sending the wrong message. Any dealer who reads between the lines here clearly must think twice before considering a supervisor position.
I wish there was an easy answer. You can't
have it both ways: promote from within and hire from the outside. If you don't adopt a
consistent policy then you are reverting to the old "juice" system. Management must adopt the policy that is best for the operation. Hiring from the outside is a morale breaker. Granted, you will miss some talented
applicants but, in my opinion, the negative far outweighs the positive.
LK Palm Springs, CA
Mr. Kilby,
why are casinos denying employment to those with credit problems? This topic has
been hashed out on the message boards many times but never from anyone like you.
I have really never understood denying
applicants with a bankruptcy. We are a monkey see, monkey do industry. Years ago someone
adopted this policy and, consequently, everyone adopted the same policy. The thinking is that bad credit leads to employee theft. I
have never seen an research supporting this belief.
"D"
Table games supervisor Alton, IL
Your
last statement in the main interview said it all
“I
believe this customer service buzz has been beaten to death. I think we should
just adopt the golden rule "do unto others as you would have them do unto
you."
Thank you. I'm glad someone else agrees with me.
S.T.
Dealer "Somewhere in the Midwest"
What is with
the personality profiling by HR?
HR is trying to hire the best employees
possible. I guess they figure this approach separates the good from the bad. However, I don't think
this type of tests have been validated but I am not an HR person.
???
Las Vegas, NV
Our casino
accepts breakage bets. A five-dollar horn bet on craps for example. Granted the
player only losses .75 in the high side payoff but would you consider this poor
customer service?
Customer service is a lot like pregnancy:
There is no such thing as a little pregnant. I have discussed this many times with my students. It
is really the player versus the game, not the player versus the casino personnel. If the opportunity arises, the player should be told the best bets, i.e., placing the 6 instead of betting the Big 6. The same with breakage bets. We should not be trying to rob the customer.
"L"
Dealer Las Vegas, NV
What is your
position on Advantage card players? Are casinos overreacting due to Griffin Investigations
feeding all this fear in the ears of casino execs? Courts question this issue.
May I? Now there is a customer
service question I’ll bet you wont publish for Kilby to answer.
If we can identify a card counter then I
say we should ask them not to play. However, we must have personnel who actually know the
difference between a card counter and an erratic bettor. I do not agree with the "flat bet" policy. When we force a player to flat bet we are dealing to a player that is worth nothing to the casino and occupying too much of
management's time and energy. I tell my students that we are selling a product and often compare it to selling hammers at a
hardware store. As long as we make money on the hammers we continue to shelve and sell. Once we
can't sell the hammers for what we pay for them we get out of the hammer business and discontinue the hammers. In casinos we
sell a product as well, and that product is a negative player expectation. As long as the player has
a negative expectation, we want to keep him if not we want to discontinue the item.
"J"
Dealer Las Vegas, NV
If the state
of Nevada blocked Howard Hughes from attempting to monopolize the casino
industry, why not such corporations such as MGM?
In 1969 I worked at the Silver Slipper that
was a Hughes property at the time. The industry was extremely small at the time. Hughes owned 6
casinos in Las Vegas plus Harold's Club in Reno and had negotiated the purchase of the Stardust. His 2,000 total rooms
represented 20% of the total rooms on the strip. The MGM isn't anywhere near as big
as Hughes was at the time.
"N"
Dealer, Henderson, NV
Please
forward this question to Jim Kilby. Dear sir, you seem to be staff friendly and
from what I hear about you there is much admiration and respect from our new
VPCO over here at Primm. My question is this; How do you suggest we motivate
those dealers (aside from killing them) who have little desire to improve their
customer relation skills in order to make more money. In other words I work with
a bunch of ******** lumps over here that do nothing more than deal like a god
damn machine and depend on others to make the tokes. It is said that 25%
of the dealers make 75% of the tokes and we are a testament to that! Help us out
here.
Let
it rip Kilby!
You can’t hit them over the head. I feel you must lead by example. You must show them you are willing to do “more” than you are asking of them. Therefore, customer service begins with management. You can’t threaten someone to be nice.
It is so important for casinos to hire personnel with the correct attitude. I believe attitude is so much more important that ability. When I first started dealing in 1969, you never heard the phrase “customer service.” To be hired in those days you must be what management called “a good clerk.” You could have had the worst personality around but, if you were a good clerk, you had all the job security you needed.
"F"
Dealer, Biloxi, MS
Relatively young, inexperienced, and untrained managers
seem to be reactive crisis problem solvers rather than proactive problem
preventors. Personal frustrations among
staff abound, job insecurity, communication by rumor [usually negative], “knee jerk” changes, and inconsistencies
combine to lower employee morale around here. Why does management always seem to
attempt to reinvent the wheel? Surly this is a common complaint? Isn't it?
We really don’t have a means of training managers. We just promote from within the ranks. Several years ago I met with the head of Hilton International. I would give you his name but he might object. Anyway, he said that to get from dealer to V.P. of Casino Operations that the person must be extremely lucky. They had to be at the right place at the right time. He went on to say that once at the top they all had one thing in common: They didn’t have the skills necessary for the job (he used the word incompetent). This tells me we don’t prepare our employees to manage. We promote dealers to V.P. They are great dealers but know very little about management.
SF
Dual-rate Las Vegas, NV
Here is where I have a problem with this whole
table for table tokes debate. The boxperson you mentioned in your example is part of the management team as are the floor supervisors. Any supervisor that “looks away” during any attempt at dealer hustling is in breach of casino policy and procedures. If that supervisor was doing the job he was hired to do, the dealers would be risking their livelihood by even attempting to hustle a customer. That supervisors job is to insure the integrity of the game, to make sure that all state gaming laws are complied with and casino policy and procedures are followed.
That is his job.
Therefore I’ve come to the conclusion that the problem is not so much the dealers
but the people who supervise them. I don’t want to say it is human nature but lets face it, the mice will play when the cat is away.
TFT or not. You also replied to Scott: “It is argued that to be friendly, dealers must be paid via tipping. I argue that you should hire friendly dealers”
I totally agree with that! And I argue that casinos should also hire or promote honest managers. Because TFT would work as it does in some
casinos with a fair and balanced rubber band rotation with honest supervisors
who do the job they were hired to do. And dealers who go for their own (without hustling) tend to be friendlier
overall.
If we go TFT you will see huge scores but you are asking for trouble. Back in the days of “Jimmy Chagra”, dice crews at Caesars would take home as much as $20,000 a man. This can only breed contempt. Piecing off the boxman used to be encouraged by management. In fact, many casinos automatically cut the boxman in for a share. However, management has discovered that this only encourages the boxman to “turn his head” and not do the job of manage. This was part of our culture. Management is trying to change that culture (not an easy thing to do).
"FR"
Dealer, Norwich, Conn
In casinos, supervisors typically get promoted from the rank and file
as you mentioned (and seem to agree with) because they have been there longest or have the best functional
multi-game dealing skills. Neither are qualifications by themselves to be a good
manager / floor supervisor. Consequently, people become supervisors who have neither the temperament nor the training for coping with the challenges of leadership.
Especially the human relation skills that are necessary. Why isn't it mandatory
that in order to become a floor supervisor in a casino one should have at least
formal training at a local college or university and then pay them accordantly.
Wouldn't this investment in higher education be the best avenue for promotion
and for the welfare of the casino in the long term?
In my book I discuss the “Management Pyramid.” The pyramid shows the relationship between management skills and technical skills required for the job. I tell my class that the casino must prepare employees for advancement. That preparation can come for college courses or in-house education. Their employer is reimbursing most of the casino employees taking my class. The only way for management to advance the profession is through education.
"G"
Casino marketing, North Carolina
The tribal compacts with casino management operators
typically include preferential biases for Indian employees, with the purpose of uplifting tribe members' self-esteem and ability to be productive. The downside of these conditions, however, is that they inherently create resentment among non-tribal employees.
In your teaching, what advice do you give regarding this matter to your
future casino executives? We know what Harrah's does, we just want to read what
you would do.
That is a tough question. I have discussed the principle and importance of the “vehicle for advancement.” But, with Indian gaming, part of the reason for the casino is to better the lives of the tribal members. Consequently, the non-tribal employees cannot become Indian. It must be extremely difficult to maintain employee moral when employees know they can’t be advanced if they are not Indian. I really don’t have an answer.
Dale,
Table games, Las Vegas
People feared the impact that Atlantic
City would have on Las Vegas when it legalized gaming in 1978 and the impact that the riverboat casinos would have
when they began opening in the early and mid-1990s. Despite this expansion, Las Vegas has continued to grow at astounding rates, fueled largely by must-see mega-resorts.
It is therefore my opinion that only conglomerate casino corporations could have
accomplished this and for casino employees who don't like these "big
corporations that took over Vegas", we would be history if casinos were
still independently owned. Therefore the corporations are not only a way of life
now but are absolutely necessary. Agree?
I agree 100 percent. The good old days are actually today. The Bellagio’s and Mirage’s could never have been built without corporate funding. How many individuals could secure a $1 billion plus loan? Not many. Not only that, with corporate ownership we actually have job security because the corporations are overly concerned with being sued. Back in “the good old days” your job security was as good as your juice. Employees today have job security without the need to have “juice.” Employees know they can’t lose their job at the whim of management. The legislation enacted through the years has given us rights.
Wrongful termination didn’t exist when I was dealing.
"JMAN"
Dealer, Biloxi, Miss
Can
you tell us about leased table games such as Let it Ride, Three card poker and
what you guys call Crapless Craps? What popular table games are "free"
to use and which are not?
You must obtain permission to use any game that is patented. Crapless craps was around before the days of patents. Therefore, it is free to use. The other games you mentioned come with some sort of fee. Basically any game before “Caribbean Stud” is free to use. Caribbean Stud was the first casino table game to be patented. Red Dog is free as well as the traditional games: blackjack, roulette, dice, etc. If you read old books about gambling, the games are free to use. You must do some research if you have a particular game in mind.
"BJK"
Table games supervisor, Detriot, MI
A fact of life is that the jobs of dealers and supervisors in a casino are very repetitive, monotonous tasks. Senior management are continuously focused on various benchmarks that move the company forward, with the marketing department moving from event to event, dreaming up ever more interesting ideas to attract customers and improve results. The employees on the casino floor, however, have no such system or short term goals, and each “exciting event” soon becomes just another opportunity to work very hard with little in the way of recognizable reward. In addition, it is probable that they are not involved in the bonus program, and if they are, it is on an annual basis - a timeline that is far too long to keep most people focused on their job on a daily basis.
How did you keep your dealers and supervisors motivated or better yet in your
teaching what do you recommend in this area to your students, the future casino operations
managers?
Motivation is difficult to maintain in any profession. Money is not a motivator. You may think it is but research has proved it isn’t. If you received a big raise today, the effect will diminish quickly. We don’t discuss this in my classes because I don’t have any good suggestions on how to motivate the dealers. My best advice is to try to provide a clear and fair path for advancement. Unfortunately, there are so few promotions; employees are sure to become disillusioned.
GT,
Dealer, Kasas City, KS
Please
ask Mr. Kilby what other casino operations/management programs are out there in
the U.S. besides UNLV, UNR and Community College in Nevada.
UNLV will soon offer a degree in Casino Management. I’m not sure whether UNR offers a major or degree. My textbook is sold in over 50 schools nation wide. Most of these schools are community colleges. While many schools offer courses, few have what one would call a casino program where the student can actually earn a degree or major. The community colleges will offer some sort of associate diploma. UNLV has the widest selection of courses.
Anonymous
Dealer, Las Vegas
A
friend of mine was laid off at the MGM because of the 911 terror attacks. As you
are aware many casinos didn't hire soon after that event. The only
employment he could find was that in casino surveillance. After two years he
claims to miss the excitement of the casino pit and desired to return only to
find that most casinos didn't want anything to do with him because "he
crossed the line" and went upstairs. Our shift manager when asked if this
is true said "In my personal opinion, its stupid but yes it is unfortunately
true" - So its "one or the other" Mr Kilby?
I think that is silly as well. There is no reason your friend should not get a job back in operations. I would think he would actually be more marketable. He shouldn’t stop searching. Any casino executive who turns him down “because he crossed the line” is just employing some absurd practice that has been handed down. Years ago, the guys in surveillance were all
cross-roaders. Consequently, they “crossed the line” by becoming a thief, not by becoming a surveillance operator. Today,
cross-roaders can’t get a job in surveillance.
Tom,
Dealer Las Vegas, NV
Mr
Kilby, all this interview needs at the bottom of the page is a link to a Slots
Tech School. It's not just staff complaining any
more. Casino ops managers are seeing their power chipped away each day. Does it
make you happy a bit that you got out of the grind when you did?
When I first started teaching, my plan was just to use it as a break. Teaching is a good way of life and I stayed. I have left UNLV on three separate leave-of-absences to return to gaming full-time (assistant casino manager in 1986, V.P. of Casino Operations in 1990, V.P. of International Marketing in 2000). Each time I was eager to get back to UNLV. Consulting keeps me involved in gaming without having to endure the pressures that come with day-to-day operations.
GT,
Dealer, Northern NV
I
read in Professor Bill Thompson's interview that his major gripe about the
casino industry today is compulsive gambling issues.
What
is yours may I ask?
I really don’t know what we can do. We pay a lot of lip service to compulsive gambling but really wish the issue would go away. Unfortunately, the topic is here to stay. Consequently, casino must appear responsible. Therefore, we strategically place brochures around the casino telling the problem gambler where they can go for help. We will exclude a player who requests the help and, hopefully, we will discontinue the mailing of casino promotions to the player. Other than that, I don’t know what else we can do.
GY,
Craps dealer, Las Vegas, NV
I
like to play poker after work sometimes and at the Cannery Casino I have noticed
that the poker tables are integrated with the pit games and there are many of
the dealers who
deal dice, BJ and poker. Is this a grand experiment or is it normal for a
smaller casino to do this? (I like it by the way)
A small casino should have dealers that can deal multiple games. This isn’t an experiment; it has been the policy at smaller casinos as long as I have been in gaming. A larger casino will have an extra board to deal with ill employees and spikes in business. A smaller casino really can’t keep anyone on an extra board. Multi-game dealers allow you to spread the games to meet the demand.
