Employers

All casinos have credit managers, so opportunities are good throughout the country wherever casinos are located. Employment will be driven by the increased popularity of casinos and other gambling establishments. Additionally, according to 2018 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), states that do not currently have legalized gaming may allow new casinos to be built over the next decade in an effort to bring in more tax revenues. This would bring new jobs in the future.

While individuals may find employment in any casino in the world, the greatest number of positions will be located in areas where there is a large concentration of casinos. These areas include Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada; Biloxi, Louisiana; Atlantic City, New Jersey; and parts of California. Other regions host commercial and Indian gaming, both land based and riverboat gaming facilities. Cruise ships offer additional opportunities.

Starting Out

Credit manager jobs are not entry-level positions. There are some credit managers who started out working as slot booth or cage cashiers and others who started as credit clerks. While every credit manager working in a casino does not have gaming experience, candidates with prior experience in the gaming industry will generally be given priority.

Casinos like to promote from within. The best way to advance your career is to get your foot in the door and then look for additional opportunities of interest to you. It is important to note, that there are no hard and fast rules for climbing the career ladder in the gaming industry. While work performance is important, advancement in many jobs is based on experience, education, training, employee attitude, customer service, and of course, individual career aspirations.

Some individuals advance their careers by locating similar positions in larger or more prestigious casinos. This results in increased responsibilities and earnings. Individuals may also climb the career ladder by obtaining experience and becoming credit supervisors, an assistant director of casino credit, or the director of casino credit.

Many casinos offer in-house executive training programs for employees interested in climbing the career ladder by moving into higher level casino management positions. Information on opportunities such as this are generally disseminated via internal employee communications or through the human resources department.

The University of Nevada-Las Vegas-International Gaming Institute also offers annual programs of interest to individuals interested in advancing their career and increasing their capacity to lead and manage. Check out more about this program online at (http://gaming.unr.edu/edp/index.html).

The most you know and understand about the gaming industry and casinos in general, the more marketable you will be. Learn as much as you can about the gaming industry. Visit Web sites such as the University of Nevada-Las Vegas Center for Gaming Research (http://gaming.unlv.edu/) to get the latest gaming news. Take a couple of classes at a gaming institute.

Casino credit manager openings are often advertised on casino job hotlines. Call each casino (or visit their Web site) to get their job hotline phone number. You can also visit casino job Web sites such as Casino Careers (http://www.casinocareers.com/) to search for job openings.

Look for casino job fairs hosted by specific casinos. These will give you an opportunity to meet with the casino human resource department representatives, get information, and even be interviewed on the spot. Be sure to dress professionally and bring resumes with you.

Note other languages in which you are fluent on your application or during your interview. While not required, the ability to speak a second language will often give one applicant an edge over another.

If you are still in school, look for an internship in the credit department of a casino, an auto dealership, or furniture store. Each will provide you with good experience.