An Exclusive Interview With A Casino Pit Boss

Have you ever stopped to wonder who controls the floor at a land-based casino? Who oversees the daily running of the staff? Or who handles the rowdy crowds at the craps table games during a bachelor’s party? During your time playing at top land-based casinos, you may not be giving too much of your attention to your surroundings, but that doesn’t mean that you aren’t being observed!

Casinofy ventures out and explores the daily ongoings of brick-and-mortar casinos, and snatches up an informative exclusive with a highly appreciated and well-respected casino pit boss. If this is as intriguing to you as it was to us, you will want to join us on this awesome adventure, including tales of nighttime adventures, and the roles and responsibilities of a casino pit boss, and we simply become more in tune with our casino surroundings.

*Please take note that the names in this interview have been changed to respect the privacy of the casino pit manager, the casino, and the players of the casino.

The Interview with the Casino Pit Boss

Rubbing our hands in anticipation, we watch eagerly as *Mr. Smith strode with purpose, and what we initially thought to be a foreboding demeanour. The air was thick with suspense and as I flick my eyes to my colleague, I feel somewhat relieved to notice that I am not alone in this thrilling sense of excitement that borders on both fear and excitement simultaneously. You see, I have watched one too many casino movies, and have always imagined casino pit bosses akin to that of a mafia kingpin. However, the mood eased as soon as the casino pit boss turned his kind features in the direction of me and my colleague.

After a round of introduction, Mr. Smith generously imitated the way to the casino’s private parlour, where we could conduct our interview privately. Before our interview, we were informed by surrounding security that the interview was to be kept short and confidential. That we were to be informed that, should the casino manager need to attend to an issue, he would need to do so immediately. This all added to the thrill of the mood at 6 pm on a Friday at one of the most popular land-based casinos in Vegas.

It became immediately apparent, that it is no longer socially acceptable to refer to a casino pit boss as such. Rather, this position is now referred to as a casino pit manager. Once the formalities were out of the way, the fun began, and 45 minutes later, my colleague and I were questioning whether or not we had chosen the right profession!

We kicked off the interview by asking Mr. Smith what being a casino pit manager entailed. Dressed to the nines, well-groomed, and with a killer smile, Mr. Smith shared with us saying; “Imagine this casino, all the games, and all the dealers, this was your family. We all work together to create a flawless gaming experience, and all I do is oversee the operation, and make sure that both my people and the casino visitors have a good time under my watch.” When we pushed further for more details, we came to learn that Mr. Smith ensures that the croupiers are honest, no cheating occurs on the floor, he completes the reports at the end of the day and schedules the shifts of all the casino employees. Finally, the casino pit manager ensures that all the slot games are in working order, and ensures the table equipment is satisfactory for players within the casino.

By this time, we had established that Mr. Smith manages his employees, but that it was a family-like community where the employees could either disrespect their managers or the opposite, treat them with respect, as they do Mr. Smith. Depending on how the croupiers regard the casino pit manager, this could impact whether you get a promotion or not. This type of position is incredibly volatile, and if not handled as a professional, one could quickly find themselves seeking other types of casino employment. It is also a position that requires years of casino floor experience, which is what leads us to our next question.

Our next question was; “How do you become a casino pit manager?”. The answer was simple, Mr. Smith responded by saying that he began on the floor as a dealer, you work your way up. Stay loyal, be friendly and remain reliable. There is a tier-like system that earns you the ultimate spot of becoming a casino pit manager of an internationally recognized casino. In an unspoken law, to become a casino pit boss, one would need to start as a dealer, then become a dealer supervisor, next, a full floor supervisor, followed by a dual pit manager, and eventually progressing toward a casino pit boss position.

The interest in us piqued, and we asked whether or not Mr. Smith had ever seen a life-changing win while working as a dealer. The answer had us gob-smacked. Mr. Smith told us that one night, after a few bourbons, a player approached the VIP blackjack table and immediately won over 200.000. However, this money was lost in just under 10 minutes. The man who had won the money had claimed that his drinks were doctored by a bystander and that he demanded his money back, but luckily Mr. Smith was a quick thinker, and quickly iced the situation, even making friends with the man after his shift that evening.

We asked Mr. Smith many other questions, and while he laughs in between, we can tell his job is more than just overlooking the floor. His is a job that requires a phycological connection with players at the table. While Mr. Smith isn’t overly concerned with winners, his focus lies within attracting losers back to the table. So, what does this say for online casino gamers?

It would appear that while the casino pit manager has the responsibility of creating a dynamic experience on the casino floor, managing feelings and emotions, as well as the ambience of a casino, online casino gaming eliminates all of this and more! We asked our anonymous casino pit boss what his take is on this thought process and he replied laughingly; “As this interview is to remain anonymous, I can safely say this without prejudice from other casino pit managers, I find myself enjoying the convenience and lack of people appealing. But make no mistake I do like the money and my team, so quality online gaming is one that I do as a favourite pastime rather than a day-to-day job.

After our interview was conducted, we decided to dapple on the casino floor, play some renowned casino table games, and quietly observe Mr. Smith in his natural environment. And while Mr. Smith is undoubtedly a good man, he looks condemning on the casino floor. We can see how he keeps the house in order and the players aware of his presence.