Ever consider a job in the casino industry? These days, it's not such a gamble.

There are different forms of legalized gambling, including casino games and lotteries. Legal gambling also includes betting on contests, such as horse races, and charitable gaming, such as 50/50 fundraisers, where 50 percent of winnings go to a charity and 50 percent to the player.

Playing games of chance is called gaming. Blackjack, a card game, is an example of casino gaming. Another example is roulette, in which a ball is dropped into a spinning wheel and players bet on the number where the ball lands.

Gambling brings in big money and the industry needs lots of workers. Many new jobs have been created, and lots of career options exist in the industry. The downside is that many casinos are open round the clock. Employees can work weekends, evenings, even holidays.

Slots of Different Jobs

From slot machine repair to casino management, casinos employ more than just card dealers. There are jobs in sales, marketing, finance, human resources, facilities management, community relations, security and more.

Many casinos promote from within and employees with good attitudes can advance quickly.

"Look for opportunities to work in many departments. Building this knowledge will increase your worth to the organization," says Tamara McLeod. She is an executive director of professional development at San Diego State University.

Richard Justason is a gaming casino security officer. He chose to work in the casino industry because he believes it's a great place to gain experience in law enforcement.

"The casino industry is growing faster each day and the opportunities for advancement... are well within reach for employees willing to put forth the effort," says Justason.

In addition to security, casinos offer great ways to break into careers in tourism and hospitality. There are also technical jobs in surveillance and slot machine manufacturing and repair.

"It's important to keep an open mind about how jobs in any of these areas might lead to a future career," McLeod says.

She adds that jobs are waiting for well-qualified workers willing to start at the bottom and work their way up.

"Casinos are expanding into resorts, incorporating hotels, more retail and attractions. I believe you will continue to see a significant demand for college graduates," says McLeod.

A great way to save money and see the world is to work for a cruise ship. Steve Lalonde is the CEO of a casino training academy. He sees many of his program graduates getting jobs with cruise lines. Lalonde says one cruise ship can employ 3,000 dealers each year.

Gambling Expands in the United States

There are more casinos in the U.S. than anywhere in the world. Nevada alone has 354. Every state except Utah and Hawaii allows some sort of legal gambling.

Gaming is a multi-billion dollar industry in the U.S., according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The American Gaming Association says $84 billion in gross revenue was made through gambling in 2005.

The popularity of gaming has also created new jobs.Gaming dealers, gaming supervisors, slot key personnel, gaming and sports book writers and runners held 174,000 jobs in 2006.

Over 366,000 people worked in commercial casinos in 2006, according to the American Gaming Association. That's a 3.2 percent increase from 2005.

Employment in gaming services is growing faster than in other industries. It is expected to increase 23 percent by 2016, says the BLS. That is much faster than the American average.

State laws restrict gambling, but some states are easing up. In 2006, Florida and Pennsylvania allowed slot machines, but not gaming tables.

Many race tracks in the U.S. are also adding slot machines. Expansion, renovations and enhancements are keeping the industry rolling.

Winning and Losing Streaks for Job Seekers

When a casino first opens, employment opportunities seem endless. However, after a few years, the demand lessens. This is what happened in the Niagara region in Canada when two casinos were built. So many jobs were created that it seemed a career as a professional gaming dealer was a sure win.

"Things have changed since then," says Shirley Tomovic. She is a development officer in Niagara College's continuing education program. "The great demand for gaming dealers and for dealer training is now over in the Niagara Region -- at least until that time -- if and when -- a new major gaming development materializes...."

The Future of Online Gaming

The first online gambling site hit the World Wide Web in 1995. About 2,000 websites followed. For a while it appeared that traditional casinos might face competition from their online counterparts. However, in 2006, a new law in the U.S. was introduced to stop online gambling.

The problem with these sites is that they may be used for illegal activities, such as money laundering or terrorist financing. Also, minors are able to gamble online.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act stops Americans from placing bets online using money transfers, credit cards or cheques. Another federal law may be passed to license, legalize and regulate U.S. Internet gambling. Even still, there are laws in certain states that ban Internet gambling altogether.

American gamers represent the majority of profits in online gaming worldwide, so online gaming companies will have to find players in Europe or Asia to make up the North American loss.

Net Sites

American Gaming Association
News and facts about the gaming industry
http://www.americangaming.org

North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries
A central information source for the lottery industry
http://www.naspl.org

The Wager
A weekly addiction gambling education report
http://www.basisonline.org/the_wager/index.html

Michael Pollock's Gaming Industry Observer
The latest industry news and trends in gaming
http://www.gamingobserver.com