Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners

OverviewSalaryAboutEducationWhere are the jobsEmploymentGenderRace/Origin

Overview

Post information enabling patrons to wager on various races and sporting events. Assist in the operation of games such as keno and bingo. May operate random number-generating equipment and announce the numbers for patrons. Receive, verify, and record patrons' wagers. Scan and process winning tickets presented by patrons and pay out winnings for those wagers.

Titles for this career often contain these words

SOURCES:

2018 SOC codes

2020 CareerOneStop

25.2 O*NET

Fewer details

Responsibilities and activities

Gaming services workers typically do the following:

Interact with customers and ensure that they have a pleasant experience
Monitor customers for violations of gaming regulations or casino policies
Inform their supervisor or a security employee of any irregularities they observe
Enforce safety rules and report hazards
Explain how to play the games to customers

The following are examples of types of gaming services workers:

Gaming managers and supervisors direct and oversee the gaming operations and personnel in their assigned area. Supervisors circulate among the tables to make sure that everything is running smoothly and that all areas are properly staffed. Gaming managers and supervisors typically do the following:

Keep an eye on customers and employees to ensure compliance with all gaming and casino rules
Communicate with other departments if security or customer-service issues arise
Address customers’ complaints about service
Explain house operating rules, such as betting limits, if customers do not understand them
Ensure payouts are correct
Schedule when and where employees in their section will work
Interview, hire, and train new employees

Slot supervisors oversee the activities of the slot department. The job duties of this occupation have changed significantly, as slot machines have become more automated in recent years. Because most casinos use slot machines that give out tickets instead of cash and thus require very little oversight, workers in this occupation spend most of their time providing customer service to slot players. Slot supervisors typically do the following:

Watch over the slot section and ensure that players are satisfied with the games
Refill machines with tickets when they run out
Oversee payment of large jackpots
Respond to and resolve customer complaints
Interview, hire, and train new employees

Gaming dealers operate table games such as craps, blackjack, and roulette. They stand or sit behind tables while serving customers. Dealers control the pace and action of the game. They announce each player’s move to the rest of the table and let players know when it is their turn. Most dealers are often required to work at least two games, usually blackjack or craps. Gaming dealers typically do the following:

Give out cards and provide dice or other equipment to customers
Determine winners, calculate and pay off winning bets, and collect on losing bets
Continually inspect cards or dice
Inform players of the rules of the game
Keep track of the amount of money that customers have already bet
Exchange paper money for gaming chips

Gaming and sports book writers and runners handle bets on sporting events and take and record bets for customers. Sports book writers and runners also verify tickets and pay out winning tickets. In addition, they help run games such as bingo and keno. Some gaming runners collect winning tickets from customers in a casino. Gaming and sports book writers and runners typically do the following:

Scan tickets and calculate winnings
Operate the equipment that randomly selects bingo or keno numbers
Announce bingo or keno numbers when they are selected
Oversee the cash that comes in (on bets) and goes out (on winnings) during their shift

SOURCES:

2020 Occupational Outlook Handbook

Salary

Median salary: $25,220 annually

Half of those employed in this career earn between $21,820 and $30,170.

SOURCES:

2019 BLS Occupational Employment

Context: Median Salary

How do salaries for this career compare to other jobs' salaries?

SOURCES:

2019 BLS Occupational Employment

Fewer details

Salary growth for gambling service workers

Is this job likely to reward you for sticking with it through pay raises and promotions? The higher a job’s “experience quotient,” the more you are likely to get as you stay there.

Experience quotient percentile

Take a minute to look at how much you might expect your salary to increase with each five years' experience, as well as how the numbers working at each age change. Does this seem to be a job for the young or the old, or could it be a career offering steady salary growth for many years?

Salary distribution

Number employed

SOURCES:

2019 ACS microdata

About Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners

How do benefits for this career compare to other jobs? The availability of health care, especially employer provided health care, and pension plans can add significantly to the value of compensation you receive in a career. These charts compare how this career compares to other careers with regard to health care and pension plans.

Employee has health insurance

Employer is providing health insurance

Employer-provided pension plan is available

SOURCES:

2018-2020 CPS

2019 ACS microdata

Worker concerns

Some jobs are more stressful than others, and some are just plain dangerous. The following list gives the percentages of gambling and sports book writers and runners who report hazardous or difficult situations typically occurring at least once a week.

Exposed to Contaminants (53%)
Unpleasant or Angry People (46%)
Time Pressure (36%)

SOURCES:

25.2 O*NET

Fewer details

Personality and skills

Can you see yourself in the ranks of Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners? Here are the skills and traits that could lead to success.

Communication skills

Gaming services workers must explain the rules of the game to customers and answer any questions they have. Simple misunderstandings can cost a customer a lot of money and damage the reputation of the casino.

Customer-service skills

All gaming jobs involve a lot of interaction with customers. The success or failure of a casino depends on how customers view the casino, making customer service important for all gaming services occupations.

Leadership skills

Gaming managers and supervisors oversee other gaming services workers and must guide them in doing their jobs and developing their skills.

Math skills

Because they deal with large amounts of money, many casino workers must be good at math.

Organizational skills

Gaming managers and supervisors must be well organized to handle administrative and other tasks required in overseeing gaming services workers.

Patience

All gaming services workers must keep their composure when they handle a customer who becomes upset or breaks a rule. They also must be patient in dealing with equipment failures or malfunctions.

SOURCES:

2020 Occupational Outlook Handbook

Education pathways to this career

Education attained by gambling and sports book writers and runners

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), gambling and sports book writers and runners typically hold a high school diploma or equivalent.

Sometimes the typical education identified by the BLS differs a bit from the reality of the how much education current workers actually have. The donut shows the education level held by people currently working as gambling service workers as reported in responses to the American Community Survey.

Details: Education and training recommended for gambling and sports book writers and runners

Gaming dealers, gaming supervisors, sports book writers and runners, and slot supervisors typically need a high school diploma or equivalent. Educational requirements for gaming managers, however, differ by casino. Although some casinos may only require a high school diploma or equivalent, others require gaming managers to have a college degree. Those who choose to pursue a degree may study hotel management, hospitality, or accounting in addition to taking formal management classes.

Details: Licensing and certification recommended for gambling and sports book writers and runners

Gaming services workers must be licensed by a state regulatory agency, such as a state casino control board or gaming commission. Licensing requirements for supervisory or managerial positions may differ from those for gaming dealers, gaming and sports book writers and runners, and all other gaming workers. However, all applicants for a license must provide photo identification and pay a fee. They also must typically pass an extensive background check and drug test. Failure to pass the background check may prevent candidates from getting a job or a gaming license.

Age requirements also vary by state. For specific licensing requirements, visit the state’s gaming commission website.

SOURCES:

2019 ACS microdata

Education level of Gambling Service Workers

Only 17% of gambling service workers have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Education attained by gambling service workers

None

High School

Some College

Associate's Degree

Bachelor's Degree

Master's Degree

Professional Degree

Doctorate

SOURCES:

2021 Ididio: Award levels

2019 ACS microdata

Where are the jobs

State-by-state employment numbers

Some careers tend to be centered in specific parts of the country. For example, most jobs in fashion are in New York or California. Let's see if your dream job is easy to find in your dream location! We have a few choices for viewing the data that can help you get a full employment picture.

Select a state to see local area details

Number of Gambling Service Workers per 1,000 workers (ACS)

SOURCES:

2019 ACS microdata

Fewer details

Job density versus job count

Which states hire the most gambling and sports book writers and runners? We wonder if that's a fair question since states come in all sizes, so instead let's start with the question of which states have the highest density of people working as gambling and sports book writers and runners. You can choose to view the number of jobs per state if you prefer.

Salaries by state

Let's get a feel for where gambling and sports book writers and runners earn the highest salaries. There are several choices for which data we consider and how we view that data, and each can lead to different conclusions, so please read on...

Median salary versus state ratio

We use two methods to compare salaries across states:

In-state comparisons: the ratio of median (middle) salaries for gambling service workers compared to the median salary for all people working in each state, or
Median salary: the unaltered median salaries for gambling service workers.

We hope the ratio allows perspective about how salaries may compare to the regional cost-of-living.

The darkest shading corresponds to states in which gambling service workers earn the highest salary when compared to other jobs in the state. We think this figure might be a better indicator than the actual salary for your buying power as a state resident.

Select a state to see local area details

Location-adjusted median salary for Gambling Service Workers (ACS for all specialties)

SOURCES:

2019 BLS Occupational Employment

2019 BEA Regional Price Parities

Employment

31% of Gambling service workers are working part time.

We’ve found that some jobs have a huge number of part-time workers, and typically that is because they are unable to find full-time work or the job itself can’t provide full-time hours. With 31% part-time workers, this occupation has a higher percentage of part-time workers than 85% of careers.

SOURCES:

2019 ACS microdata

Employer types

This donut shares the break-down of workers by employer type, giving us a picture of what employers most typically hire for this career.

Employers of undefined (ACS)

Private for-profit

Private not-for-profit

Local government

State government

Federal government

Self-employed incorporated

Self-employed not incorporated

Working without pay

SOURCES:

2021 Ididio: Comparing employment

2019 ACS microdata

Fewer details

Distribution: Salaries of gambling service workers by type of employer

Here are the salary distributions based on employer type.

SOURCES:

2021 Ididio: Comparing employment

2019 ACS microdata

Gender

Gambling service workers and gender

With 45% women, this occupation has a higher percentage of women than 57% of careers.

Gender of Gambling service workers

Men (55%)

Women (45%)

SOURCES:

2019 ACS microdata

Distribution: salaries by gender

Does gender greatly influence your salary in this career? The closer the bars are, the less discrepancy there is.

We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.

SOURCES:

2019 ACS microdata

Fewer details

Context: Women in the workforce

How does this career compare to other careers with regard to the percentage of women in the career.

SOURCES:

2019 ACS microdata

Context: Salary inequity

The median salary for all full-time male workers in the US exceeds the full-time median salary for women by 19%. The situation is a little better for gambling service workers, with the median salary for men 10% higher than the median salary for women.

SOURCES:

2019 ACS microdata

Race/Origin

Race and origin of Gambling service workers

This donut shows the distribution of race and origin among those employed as Gambling service workers.

Race/origin of gambling service workers

White (56% )

Asian (25% )

Black (9% )

American Indian (3% )

Multiracial (3% )

Other (3% )

Pacific Islander (1% )

Hispanic (1% )

SOURCES:

2019 ACS microdata

Distribution: salaries by race/origin

Some careers might have a pay disparity based on race or origin, the closer the below bars are the less of a discrepancy is present.

We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.

SOURCES:

2019 ACS microdata