PWInsider - WWE News, Wrestling News, WWE

MAKE A CAREER OUT OF BEING A GAMBLING ENTHUSIAST

Your favourite movies are The Cincinnati Kid and 21. You’re a collector of vintage poker sets. Sports give you that exhilarating rush, but not because of the on-field action, but because of that accumulator bet you’ve got going. Your perfect Friday after-work activity isn’t going to the bar, it’s having a poker night with your buddies. 

Congratulations, you’re a bona fide gambling enthusiast. And if you’re thinking that it would be nice to make money out of your passion but don’t quite know how to do it, I’m here to tell you that there are plenty of options. 

Some jobs are a little more behind-the-scenes, while others are right in the middle of the action. Depending on your skills, experience, and career ambitions, here are 4 you may want to consider. Which one suits you? 

Live Dealer 

This is the perfect job if you want to be right in the middle of the action. You get to experience the thrill of the casino, what happens on the floor. Depending on your role, you’ll be dealing with roulette, baccarat, blackjack, and other table games. Be prepared to get to know these, inside out. 

For this job, you need to love the interaction. You want to engage with customers, be a friendly face, someone they can talk to and crack a joke with. Of course, you can’t become their ‘buddy’; being professional throughout is an absolute requirement. 

You’ll also be dealing with people from all sorts of backgrounds. It makes for an interesting experience, but you’ll have to be flexible and adaptable. Remember, a lot of these players will lose at your table. Be ready to deal with those who aren’t quite so happy about their losses. 

Nowadays, you can also be a live dealer remotely, as thousands of online casinos offer live table games which require a living, breathing dealer streaming roulette, blackjack and poker games directly to their devices. Being a live dealer is a multi-faceted role that gives you loads of relevant experience, especially if you want to stay involved in the casino industry. 

Surveillance Officer 

This is the ‘bad guy’ in a movie like 21. You know, the one that gently taps the card counter on the shoulder and then escorts them out of the building? You’ll be that person, usually assisted by one or two security guards. 

Surveillance officers don’t just operate the floor, however. You will use observation rooms, using advanced AV equipment to ensure punters aren’t trying to cheat the system. For example, you will be required to watch out for card counters. 

The bad part? You’ll be doing long hours, and you will also be expected to do shift work. There are plenty of positives, however. The pay is decent, you are a crucial member of the casino team, and you don’t need qualifications as training is provided on the job. In terms of upward mobility, you can move to management positions or use your experience to get a job elsewhere. 

Software Developer 

Some of the best software developers work in the gambling industry. Why? Opportunity. The virtual landscape has changed massively in the past few years, with online casinos expanding and in many cases supplanting their physical counterparts. 

As a developer, you’ll be working on virtual slot machines, both live and virtual table games, and anything in between. It’s an incredibly lucrative career, with the best developers often earning around the six-figure mark. 

Of course, this job requires you to be highly skilled. It’s possible to enter as a junior developer, but this still requires an aptitude for coding and often university-level education. You can learn solo, but it may be an uphill climb to show companies you’re capable of the work. 

Professional Sports Bettor

Enjoy the occasional wager on your favourite sport? You’re up on your last few bets and think of yourself as a bit of an expert? Stop. Becoming a professional sports gambler isn’t the thrill ride some think it is, and if you start with the attitude that it’s going to be easy money, you’re destined for an empty wallet. To succeed, you’ll need this: 

• Managing your bankroll. Perhaps the most important skill is the management of your bankroll. No matter how much money you’ve got in your pot, don’t bet more than 1-5% on any given bet. Even if it’s a ‘sure thing’. 

• Set your goals and risk tolerance. Small risk, small profit. But it’s usually more consistent. Others like to go for something a little riskier but think of the long-haul. 

• Your heart? Switch it off. You have to bet according to what the numbers tell you. Use your head, not your heart. And it’s probably a good idea to abstain from betting on your favourite sports team. 

There’s More Where That Came From! 

We’ve given you four jobs available to you in the industry, all quite different in terms of career trajectory and required experience/education. But that’s just the start. 

There are plenty of others in this burgeoning industry: customer service agent, affiliate manager, teller, pit boss, casino host, slot supervisor, audit investigator, tech auditor, the list goes on. If you’re a betting enthusiast, there’s a job in there for you.

If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!

• Tweet