I traveled to Las Vegas several times a year from Dallas, before moving to Las Vegas almost a year ago. The number one question people ask me when they’re thinking of moving to Las Vegas is how easy it is to become a dealer or bartender. Well, in today’s economy, either option could be difficult, let’s look at both options.
Las Vegas casino dealer
Of the two options, this is probably the most chosen. There are literally thousands of dealers working in Las Vegas. There are shifts that cover all hours of every day of the year. Distributors’ pay range can vary widely from twenty thousand to over one hundred thousand dollars a year. Most dealers will start out on a casino break that is off the beaten track at some of the lesser known casinos, and most new dealers also start out part time or full time covering different shifts.
The best way to get a Las Vegas Casino Dealer job is to go to a reputable Casino Dealer School, which has a good reputation for placing jobs and getting their students to audition in casinos. Be sure to visit multiple schools and even talk to current and former students before committing to a school.
Vegas bartender
Bartender jobs in Las Vegas can be very good and very hard to come by. The best bartenders in Las Vegas can earn over a hundred thousand dollars a year. These jobs are also hard to come by. Most bartenders at the major casinos on and off the strip are unionized, which means you must be in the union and usually start out as a bartender or bartender trainee. Some casinos get around the union by calling their waiters entertainers, so if you have styling skills or look like a runway model, you might have a better chance of getting a job.
At a recent non-union casino that opened here, waitresses were sought and required to interview in bikinis. So if you’re a pretty woman, you have a better chance of getting hired as a waitress than most, hey, it’s Vegas!
It can be equally daunting to get a job at a local bar, almost all local bars have video poker machines and require playing cards like casinos. Even at local bars, you’ll see them advertise for female-only waitresses, or require two years of experience as a Las Vegas gaming waitress. Beware of local bartending schools, there are quite a few and I come across graduates of these schools working all kinds of jobs but not as bartenders.
In short, you can get a job as a waiter in Las Vegas, but you will have to be persistent because it will not happen overnight. Casino dealing jobs are easier to come by but won’t pay much when you start, but can turn into a good long-term career with experience. Always check out any of the Dealer and Bartending schools in Las Vegas before committing, do your homework.
