Anyone familiar with how the casino operates knows that the policies regarding tips may be very different. In the U.S., this aspect is regulated at the state level, and casinos obey the orders of the authorities; in the former Soviet Union, every casino owner decides how dealers get tips or whether they receive them.
- In some casinos, tipping is prohibited. You can give dealers chips or money, but they do not reach the croupiers.
- In other clubs, dealers get all the money from customers and share it equally.
- It happens that every dealer keeps his own tips.
There are several options, and we now consider the main pros and cons of the most typical methods.
How Casinos Manage Dealer Tips
I do not claim to be an HR professional, but I did work in casinos as a dealer, pit boss, and manager. Moreover, I often gambled, tipped dealers frequently, and discussed tipping problems with many croupiers.
I hope this article will be not only interesting but also valuable for Casinoz readers.
Every Dealer Gets His or Her Own Tips Anyway
It may be the worst option possible. Sooner or later, this approach leads to quarrels in the team, accusations of selfishness, and envy. Those who get more tips are accused of fraud, and so on. Also, there happen more cases of fraud and cheating.
Customers begin to complain about annoying dealers who keep asking for tips. There are cases when regulars leave casinos forever because of this practice.
Of course, managers must put such employees in place, but it can be challenging. In general, such a scheme encourages dealers to neglect their duties and pursue their own goals.
Dealer Get and Share Tips Anyway
In such casinos, dealers are very motivated and treasure their work. They are very polite to most customers. The team is usually cohesive and arranges all sorts of parties.
On the other hand, there are also negative consequences of selfish motives. But they are not expressed as in the first example because only a tiny part of the amount each dealer receives is at stake. So they are not eager to break the rules or cheat. The risk is undue.
Dealers Get and Share Tips if the Casino Has Made Money
This principle was widely used in many small casinos in post-Soviet countries. The casino left dealers without their tips if the club did not earn money that night.
There were various options. For example, tips could not be more than 10% of casino revenue.
Disputes might have arisen when high rollers lost vast amounts of money borrowed from the casino and gave big tips. It seemed that everyone should be happy. However, casino owners knew that not all credits are returned and did not want to provide dealers with their tips. Experienced croupiers can recall cases when customers' debts were written off for some reason, and dealers were left without tips and salary.
This principle of managing tips generally makes dealers care about the casino's revenue, but it is not always to their advantage. It can lead to mistakes, rude attitudes toward winning customers, etc.
Other Ways
In low-quality casinos, managers may operate dealers' tips at their discretion. The boss decides whether to give the money to croupiers, how to share tips, and so on. It raises scandals and causes intrigue, slander, and many other problems. Don't use it if you want a friendly atmosphere in the staffroom.
Which Way of Managing Dealer Tips Is Better?
We can't say that one approach is better than the others. It is necessary to consider all aspects involved. Be sure to take into account the following questions:
- How are dealers paid for their work?
- Are their salaries competitive?
- Is the climate in the team healthy?
- Are tips the only incentive for dealers?
- How good is the security service?
- Are pit bosses and managers professional?
In short, managing tips is a serious matter, one of the most important for every casino. If dealers can not earn extra money, they should be compensated in salaries, social benefits, and various privileges. Otherwise, they can easily change casinos.
If your opinion on this issue differs from ours, we are happy to discuss it in the comments or blogs. Share it, and we will always reply.
