Have you ever wondered what pit bosses do at a casino? If you’re observing from a game table, this job may seem quite easy. However, you would probably think that it was tough if you saw a casino pit boss trying to manage all the dealers, cashiers, servers, and other personnel working at the casino. The casino pit boss is also in charge of coaching new hires as well as encouraging all existing employees to improve their performance. So, you may need to consider a couple of points to become an accomplished casino pit boss. If you’re serious about making a career as a casino pit boss, this guidepost is tailor-made for you.
A casino pit boss is the overall manager of a casino. They spend most of their time on the casino floor, ensuring that players follow all the set regulations. They track and monitor transactions, solve player disputes, catch common cheats, train new employees, direct players to the restrooms, and more.
Although there is no prior education required for this position, casinos will ask anyone hoping for a career as a casino pit boss to have the right qualifications and experience. It is preferred to have previous experience on the floor of the casino and commonly a pit boss has worked before as a dealer at the casino. It is essential that pit bosses know how to play all table games as they will be ensuring players follow the rules of multiple games during an entire shift.
A successful pit boss must possess remarkable managerial skills and have an extensive knowledge of the games at the casino. Also, they should be able to resolve disputes between players and deal with difficult situations as well as must have the ability to multitask since they will be monitoring more than one situation at a time. Pit bosses hold a high school diploma or a GED and casinos may provide applicants with further training in how to manage paperwork and how to play certain games at the casino.
Not everybody has the right personality to become a successful casino pit boss. An excellent pit boss must be personable and friendly to make the players feel welcome and comfortable. But that alone isn’t quite enough. They should be authoritative and knowledgeable to give them an upper hand in case of any disputes. It is also important that a pit boss is fair and able to treat everyone with the same degree of respect and equity even though they are former colleagues. In addition, they need to pay careful attention to detail as they have to keep everything under control on the floor of the casino. It is the pit boss who deals with difficult situations such as angry players and lying employees.
A pit boss must possess the right balance between being authoritative and friendly. A talented pit boss will know how to make players feel at home while demonstrating impressive leadership skills. They have a moral responsibility to make decisions neutrally, but also need to express their opinion in a polite manner. Maintaining this balance between being polite and determined is probably the hardest, but the most important part of being a good pit boss.
Casinos choose applicants who have inherent skills that can be applied to the job, but the required skills can be learned over time as well. There are a number of courses on negotiation skills, people management and fast thinking. These are definitely some of the most important skills that a pit boss should have to do a good job at a casino.
The responsibilities of a casino pit boss have considerably changed over the years. To begin with, today the pit boss is commonly responsible for running a handful of pits with table games. However, previously their sole responsibility was to oversee all happenings in the casino. The main objective of a casino pit boss still remains the same, that is to ensure that the players gamble in a free, fair, and friendly environment.
Below are some of their responsibilities:
In a casino environment, tempers are sure to run high. There will be occasional disputes on slot machines and table games because of player or dealer errors. In that case, the pit boss will act as the final authority regarding any wrongdoings. If the pit boss can’t handle the situation, they can call upon the casino manager or the regulatory authority. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the game rules is a must for the pit boss.
The paperwork needed at a casino can be immense. That said, pit bosses are responsible for managing casino paperwork. They handle shift changes, regular scheduling, dealer schedules, personnel time off, vacations and so on. They also handle floor paperwork such as table wins, losses, and procedures for credits, fills, and table inventory.
Pit bosses are trained to recognize problems and prevent players from card counting, cheating, and involving in scams as well.
They prepare daily shift reports for shift managers. After hours paperwork is often quite fast. A regular 8-hours shift consists of three or four brief pauses; one of which is a meal break for at least half an hour.
This is another crucial task of the casino pit boss. They are responsible for overseeing all money transactions on the game table. They keep an eye on all the wagers and money circulating on the table. The pit boss is held responsible for every penny transacted during their shift. Overall, taking care of the table cash is arguably the pit boss’ most important obligation.
Moreover, a pit boss is accountable for noticing loyal players who regularly frequent the casino. These players are rewarded for their loyalty to the casino with complimentary points. Players can collect these complimentary points by playing continually at a certain casino. Their commitment will be seen by the casino after a period. To notice this action and determine the award that will be given to the loyal players is, in fact, the job of a casino pit boss. The rewards can vary from booking plane tickets to hotel room reservations.
Pit bosses have more responsibilities, and therefore, they earn much more money than other casino employees. While the salary can vary from casino to casino, US pit bosses make something between $50,000 and $75,000 per year. The hourly payment is about $27. With this kind of high income, it’s no wonder that pit bosses don’t accept tips. A pit boss can live a comfortable life with this salary even without boosting the income with tips. However, it can still be one of the reasons why the job is not desirable for everyone.
Managing a casino floor or table can be fun and entertaining at the same time. It needs hard work, diverse skills, and a likable personality. In return, you enjoy a ‘good’ paycheck and work in a fun industry. And if the pay isn’t enough for you, don’t worry, because many other well-paying casino jobs are available.
