Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 | All Occupations

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< Gaming cage workers >

The section of the ocouha website contains the text of the 2004-05 Occupational Outlook Handbook. This information is no longer being updated. For more recent information, start at the ocouha homepage www.ocouha.com.

Gaming cage workers

Nature of the Work

Gaming cage workers, more commonly called cage cashiers, work in casinos and other gaming establishments. The “cage” where these workers can be found is the central depository for money, gaming chips, and paperwork necessary to support casino play.

Cage workers carry out a wide range of financial transactions and handle any paperwork that may be required. They perform credit checks and verify credit references for people who want to open a house credit account. They cash checks according to rules established by the casino. Cage workers sell gambling chips, tokens, or tickets to patrons or to other workers for resale to patrons and exchange chips and tokens for cash. They may use cash registers, adding machines, or computers to calculate and record transactions. At the end of their shift, cage cashiers must balance the books.

Because the industry is scrutinized closely, cage workers must follow a number of rules and regulations related to their handling of money. Large cash transactions, for example, must be reported to the Internal Revenue Service. Also, in determining when to extend credit or cash a check, cage workers must follow highly detailed procedures.

source: OOH; about this section

Employment

Gaming cage workers held about 18,000 jobs in 2002. All of these individuals work in the gaming industry, which is heavily concentrated in Nevada and Atlantic City, New Jersey. However, a growing number of States and Indian reservations have legalized gambling, and gaming establishments can now be found in many parts of the country.

source: OOH; about this section

Job Outlook

Employment of gaming cage workers is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2012. Opportunities for gaming cage workers depend on the health of the gaming industry. The industry as a whole is strong, and demand will remain high as gambling becomes a more popular and acceptable leisure pursuit. New casinos will continue to be built on Indian reservations and in States that currently do not have any casinos. Gaming cage workers, however, will not fare as well as others in the gaming industry, because many of the newer casinos are going cashless and using debitlike cards instead. However, a fair number of job openings will result from high turnover in this occupation due to the high level of scrutiny workers receive and the need to be accurate. Persons with good mathematics abilities, some background in accounting or bookkeeping, and good customer service skills should have the best opportunities.

source: OOH; about this section

Sources of Additional Information

Information on employment opportunities for gaming cage workers is available from local offices of the State employment service.

Information on working conditions, training requirements, and earnings appears in the introduction to financial clerks.

source: OOH; about this section

Quick Stats

Gaming cage workers

2002 employment: 18,000
2012 projected employment: 21,000
Change — numeric: 3,000; percent: 14.5%
2002 median annual earnings: $21,780; earnings group: low
2002 self-employed: 0.0%
2002 part-time employment: very low
2002 unemployment: very low
Typical education and training: Short-term on-the-job traning
Educational attainment — high school: 43.6%; some college: 42.5%; bachelor's degree: 13.9%

source: Employment Matrix; about this section

See the Occupational Outlook Handbook in print.

Gaming cage workers

Nature of the Work

Employment

Job Outlook

Related Occupations

Sources of Additional Information

Quick Stats