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Table Games Dealer

Kaimahi Wharepeti

Alternative titles for this job

Table games dealers lead and control games played at casinos, calculate winnings and losses, and pay out winning bets.

Pay

Table games dealers usually earn the minimum wage or a little above.

Source: SkyCity, 2017.

Job opportunities

Chances of getting a job as a table games dealer are average due to high competition for regular vacancies.

Pay

Pay for table games dealers varies depending on experience.

  • Table games dealers usually earn the minimum wage or a little above. They may also get subsidised meals, health insurance, incentives and employee discounts.

Source: SkyCity, 2017.

(This information is a guide only. Find out more about the sources of our pay information)

What you will do

Table games dealers may do some or all of the following:

  • open the cash float and game table
  • check the cards and equipment that will be used in the game
  • exchange money for chips
  • start and control the game
  • calculate the number of chips players have won and lost
  • pay out chips
  • close the float and table, and make sure it all balances.

Table games dealers are usually trained in only a few games.

Skills and knowledge

Table games dealers need to have:

  • knowledge of the rules of the game they are dealing and the procedures they have to follow
  • understanding of what different bets mean and what they are worth
  • knowledge of security risks that may occur in the casino
  • good maths and customer service skills.

Working conditions

Table games dealers:

  • work shifts, day and night and weekends
  • usually work in casinos and on cruise ships.

Entry requirements

To become a table games dealer you must: 

  • be over 20 years old 
  • undergo a police background check
  • hold a Certificate of Approval from the Department of Internal Affairs.

Table games dealers are trained for four to six weeks before they start working, and continue to gain skills on the job. 

Secondary education

There are no specific secondary educational requirements to become a table games dealer. However,a good standard of English and maths is preferred.

Personal requirements

Table games dealers need to be:

  • friendly and outgoing
  • good at communicating and listening, as they may have to deal with people who do not speak English as their first language
  • good at dealing with difficult customers
  • tactful, honest and reliable
  • able to work quickly and accurately.

Useful experience

Useful experience for table games dealers includes money handling or customer service roles.

Physical requirements

Table games dealers need: 

  • to have normal colour vision 
  • to be neat and tidy
  • to be fit enough to cope with standing for a long time.

Find out more about training

Department of Internal Affairs
(04) 495 7200 - casino.compliance@dia.govt.nz - www.dia.govt.nz

 

Check out related courses

What are the chances of getting a job?

Job opportunities arise fairly frequently at casinos due to promotions, resignations and retirements, and most casinos have regular intakes of new staff. For example, Skycity Auckland may have between three and six intakes of trainee table games dealers each year.

Competition high for table games dealer jobs

Competition is high for table games dealer jobs due to:

  • the availability of part-time work and shifts
  • being able to enter the job without post-school qualifications
  • good on-the-job training opportunities, which make it possible to advance into management

Skycity is largest employer of table games dealers

Skycity's casino in Auckland employs the most table games dealers in New Zealand. The casino operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The majority of table games dealers are employed on part-time contracts.

The following casinos also employ table games dealers:

  • Skycity Hamilton
  • Skycity Queenstown
  • Christchurch Casino
  • Dunedin Casino.

Table games dealers also work on cruise ships.

Sources

  • Christchurch Casino website, accessed October 2017, (www.christchurchcasino.nz).
  • McNicol, H, 'Skycity Profit Drops as VIP Gambler Turnover Falls and Disruption Hinders Growth', 9 August 2017, (www.stuff.co.nz).
  • Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, '2006-2014 Occupation Data' (prepared for Careers New Zealand), 2015, (www.mbie.govt.nz).
  • Patel, K, recruitment advisor, Skycity Auckland, Careers Directorate – Tertiary Education Commission interview, October 2017.

(This information is a guide only. Find out more about the sources of our job opportunities information)

Progression and specialisations

Table games dealers may progress into supervisory and management roles.

A table games dealer and gamblers stand around a roulette wheel in a casino

Table games dealers check the cards and chips before games are played at casinos

Last updated 12 December 2023