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CAGE CASHIER
The casino cage is similar to a bank. The Casino Cage Cashier position is similar to that of a teller in a bank. The cage is in charge of accounting for the financial activities that occur in the casino in each department for each shift.
The Cage Cashier issues money to the casino pits, hotel area restaurants, and bars. This money is used to handle customer sales in the gaming area, hotel, restaurants, and bars. Each department, in turn, sends their revenue to the Cage Cashier to be counted and verified. The Cage Cashiers then credit the correct department and place the monies in the cage cash inventory or a bank deposit.
Cage cashiers handle the issuance of credit to customers. They additionally are responsible for exchanging chips for money from customers who have won and want to "cash out" their chips.
The Casino Cage Cashier is responsible for a great deal of money. In addition to issuing money to casino departments the Casino Cage Cashier uses it to issue customer credits, to buy back chips, and to pay out jackpots.
The Casino Cage Cashier issues chips to the gaming tables. These transactions, too, must be recorded on fill slips or sheets so that the pit area can reimburse the cage to balance the transaction.
Casino Cage Cashiers are expected to count the casino bankroll or inventory as well as make an inventory of chips before and after each work shift.
The Cage Cashier must perform an accounting over the entire casino bankroll or inventory. This includes money, chips, and markers, among other things. It also contains credits from those departments money has been issued to, debits from money received from other departments, and customer bank checks. All items that are cash or convertible back to cash are included when the accounting is taken. Cage Cashiers record everything on paper.
To do this, the individuals utilizes a cage cash count sheet as well as a bank control sheet. All information must be accounted for, recorded, and verified. Other duties of the Cage Cashier may include:
- Redeeming chips or tokens that customers have won or have left over when they are done gambling
- Converting contents of Cage Cashier’s drawer to cash currency in lieu of cash equivalents
- Obtaining currency fills from main banks if cage is running short
- Handling daily cage reconciliation for shift
Casino Cage Cashiers Salaries
Hourly wages for casino Cage Cashiers can run from $7.00 to $20.00 or more depending on the specific casino in which the individual is working and the geographic location.
Employment Prospects
Because all casinos have Cage Cashiers, opportunities are excellent throughout the country, wherever casinos are located.
Cage Cashiers are usually hourly employees. Many casinos are open 24 hours a day and run in shifts. Individuals may work the day shift, swing shift or evening, graveyard shift, or overnight.
Shift hours may vary in different facilities. The day shift, for example, may run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the swing shift from 4 p.m. to midnight, and the graveyard shift from midnight to 8 a.m. Some facilities may have overlapping shifts or different hours.
While individuals may find employment in any casino in the world, most opportunities exist in areas where there are a large number of casinos. Las Vegas, Reno, Laughlin, Lake Tahoe, Atlantic City, Biloxi, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Detroit offer the greatest number of job possibilities. Other employment settings may include casino hotels in other areas of Nevada, Mississippi, New York, Louisiana, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Arizona, and California.
Other regions hosting Indian gaming and landbased or riverboat gaming facilities or cruise ships offer additional opportunities. New casinos and casino hotels are constantly under construction. More casinos and casino hotels are also opening every year as areas legalize gambling.
Advancement Prospects
Casino Cage Cashiers can climb the career ladder by promotion to casino Cage Cashier supervisor or shift manager.
Education and Training
As in many jobs in casinos, the Casino Cage Cashier may receive on-the-job training. The individual might also attend gaming schools, academies, or institutes located throughout the country. These may be private or may be part of community colleges, four-year colleges, or universities. Many casinos also have their own training programs.
Special Requirements
Cage Cashiers must be licensed in the state in which they work. This license is generally issued by a regulatory agency such as the specific state’s casino control board or commission.
Experience, Skills, and Personality Traits
Experience as a cashier or handling transactions with money is preferred for those seeking positions as Cage Cashiers. Money-handling and data entry skills are needed. The ability to count money accurately is essential.
Unions and Associations of Casino Cage Cashiers
While this may be a unionized position in a limited number of casinos, Cage Cashiers are not usually represented by any bargaining union. Individuals interested in a career in this field can get additional information by contacting casino human resources departments, gaming schools, institutes, or academies.
Tips for Entry
1. Stop by the human resources department of casinos to see if they have any job openings in this area.
2. Positions may be advertised in the classified section of newspapers in areas hosting gaming. Look under headings such as "Casinos/Gaming," "Casinos," or "Cage Cashier."
3. If you are not in an area hosting gaming, consider getting a short-term subscription to the newspaper in the area of your choice. The Sunday edition of many newspapers are also often available in larger bookstores.
4. Gaming is growing quickly throughout the country. You can often find an area building a gaming facility and get an application long before building is completed.
5. These jobs may be advertised on casino job hotlines. Call each casino to get their job hotline phone number.