Alternative Career Choices: How to become a croupier in the UK?
The casino croupier is the go-to professional on the floor that knows every casino game like the back of their hand. They can explain how to play games to new players and also help other staff who have an issue (technical or otherwise). They usually have exceptional arithmetic skills. Along with these hard skills, croupiers tend to have excellent soft skills and charisma. After all, they are something like the host of the casino party and will mingle with familiar faces and welcome new ones. Most big casinos will have more than one croupier and a senior croupier which the others will report to.
Do You Need a Flashy Degree?
No – having a university degree is not a prerequisite to becoming a (competent) croupier. The job requires you to be highly observant and be good at fast mental arithmetic. Often forgotten is that this is a customer-facing role, and you also need to have clear communication and people skills. Interacting with gamers on the casino floor is part and parcel of the job.
PartyCasino is an outfit from the UK gambling industry offering online casino games. With insider knowledge, they have created their own guide to become a croupier in the UK and have stated which qualifications are desired. They recommend applicants to have at least three GCSEs, and two of these should be maths and English. Furthermore, it is recommended to have job experience working in customer service.
The Future of the Croupier Role
Like most jobs that are becoming more remote, the croupier job is being transformed with online technologies. Live dealer games are becoming the norm on online casino games for the purpose of bringing a lifelike experience to online play. But streaming dealers is not the only way to make playing at home more like gambling at a casino.
Some of the best casino sites are now incorporating croupiers into the online experience of live dealer games. Croupiers can be streamed live at the start of tournaments to go over the rules with players, and of course, explain these games to new sign-ups. Sometimes these will be live, and in others, they may be pre-recorded. Either way, the croupier’s role is expanding!
The Quick Training Schedule
There are no hard and fast rules about how long you will need to train to become a croupier. It really depends on the casino you are training with and how fast you pick up the fundamentals. If you already play casino games, you may be streets ahead of someone who has never played blackjack or roulette before.
Most initial training programmes last three months as a sort of probation period. If the casino likes what they see, your training could stretch up to a year or more – which is still significantly shorter than some university degrees and qualifications leading to careers of equal pay.
Climbing the Casino Ladder
Most croupiers make a modest income but usually experience increased job satisfaction compared to some higher-paid roles. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t money to be made.
Croupiers do have the potential for career progression within UK casinos. The top place is to become a casino manager, which will be significantly higher paid. Glassdoor suggests that managers will earn £30,000+. The other benefit of working as a croupier is that you can take your talent on the road.
There are casinos across the globe all requiring the best croupiers. After your training and time in the UK, you could work on the sun-drenched Med or head to the bright lights of Vegas!
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