Odds are good for local sports books employment

A growing industry in Nevada that often offers on-the-job career training and has substantial growth opportunities are sports books and sports betting businesses.

Prospective employees are needed certain times throughout the year when betting becomes more popular among sports fans, said Dan Shapiro, director of marketing for Brandywine Bookmaking LLC., which operates Lucky's Race & Sports Book, 6230 W. Desert Inn Road. Hiring is done a few months before big events or sports seasons get under way.

"Football season is our busiest time of the year, so we ramp up hiring over the summer as we prepare for the season," Shapiro said.

Lucky's Race & Sports Book has more than 90 employees who work in many different areas of its local corporation. The sports book has 16 locations throughout Nevada, including Fitzgerald's, Plaza, Terrible's, Primm Valley, Buffalo Bill's and Whiskey Pete's, as well as locations in Laughlin, Pahrump, Reno, Indian Springs, Elko and Carson City. The company is looking for more than front-room employees and book makers.

"We're currently seeking revenue auditors and an internal auditor for our finance department," Shapiro said. An opening for a race-and-sports book manager is also available. Go to www.betatluckys.com/careers for more information on the latest open positions.

Gaming and sports-book writers and runners take bets on sporting events, scan tickets, calculate and distribute winnings from cash wagers, including verifying the validity of the bet and operate equipment for casinos. Much of this is taught after the hire date and, once experience is gained, can lead to lucrative positions within the company, or at companies around the world in this growing business sector. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects this gaming niche to grow by 14 percent through 2018.

BLS Employment recommends a high school diploma or GED to qualify for an entry-level position. Area schools have classes that can assist in gaining employment in this field, including accounting, customer service and beginning hospitality courses. The BLS also notes that this field is currently one of the fastest growing occupations, as gaming expands in the United States and Asia.

The median income for gaming and sports-book writers and runners is around $20,000, although that may be higher in some large sports books. There were more than 16,000 sports-book employees across the country in 2008, most of which were in Nevada, according to the BLS. Previous gaming experience will lead to a more lucrative and secure position, so getting in now can benefit future employment. And strong customer service skills will assist in promotions at any gaming establishment.

The work can be physically demanding, but a shining personality can offset dull hours in a 24/7 work environment. Expect to work holidays and weekends the first year, late-night shifts and shifts that are more difficult than others. The truly busy days, such as those that take place during a big national game, are sometimes coveted by veteran sports-book employees for large tips customers tend to hand out after a big win.

Lucky's works hard to ensure costumers are comfortable and enjoy their betting experience. Shapiro said company managers specifically look for these qualities when interviewing potential employees.

That attention to customer service has paid off for Lucky's. The company won the Best of Las Vegas award last year for Best Football Contest by the newspaper's staff. It was the second straight year that Lucky's won in the Las Vegas Review-Journal's annual reader survey.

"We are customer-service focused, so our employees must have great people skills," Shapiro said.

While prior experience is beneficial when applying, a solid knowledge of how to handle customers is vital for employment at Lucky's.

"Our best front-line employees are friendly and knowledgeable about sports betting," Shapiro said. "They'll also be the ones getting the best tips."

If you are not already into a particular sport, or don't have much knowledge about sports in general, it is a good idea to brush up on details of major sports franchises and rules of the games before going to your interview.

"Of course, in this business, it also helps to be a sports fan," Shapiro said. "Customers love it when our ticket writers, supervisors and managers can talk sports or horses with them."

One of the main reasons it's important for Lucky's employees to be educated and patient is that the customer base often comes in without basic information of how the games work, but with a passion for playing the odds.

"The big sporting events, (such as) Super Bowl, March Madness and the Kentucky Derby, are the busiest time for us," he said. "We get a lot of beginners during these events, so it's important we make them feel comfortable and answer all their questions about betting."

The big events, holidays for sports fans, can charge the air in the sports book.

"Behind the scenes it's a fun atmosphere," Shapiro said. "We recognize the hard work put in by our crew during these events."

Lucky's likes to get its employees involved in the excitement as well.

"For the college basketball tournament we held an employee bracket contest," Shapiro said. "It creates a little fun competition among employees and keeps them following the action."

That sense of fun in the back room can lead to a better atmosphere on the floor of the business, and that attitude travels all the way up to the main offices.

"Back in our hub office, where the (betting) lines are set, we'll bring in pizza or sandwiches for our bookmakers because they're working long hours around these events and hardly have a chance to look up from their screens," Shapiro said.

The industry is definitely one for the unemployed to consider, particularly if they have worked in hospitality or some other customer-service oriented industry, said John English, senior vice president of business development and public affairs for American Wagering Inc., which owns Leroy's Horse & Sports Place.

"We hire often and for many different positions," English said.

Leroy's has more than 200 employees at its more than 20 locations around Nevada, including inside many Inn Zone establishments, Hooters Hotel, Silverton and the Golden Gate. Currently the company is looking for sports-book writers in Las Vegas, Reno, North Tahoe, Pahrump and Laughlin.

"Right now we have a career site on our website where people can go and apply," English said.

And potential employees should look on the site www.americanwagering.com/leroys regularly for updated positions that are open.

"There might be times where we might need more ticket writers, for instance, or other specific employees," he said. "We are always in some state of hiring for the company."

As with other area sports books, Leroy's tends to hire around special events and seasons.

"During football season and March Madness we bring in temporary people to handle the increase of volume," he said.

English emphasized the industry's main focus when considering a prospective employee.

"What we typically look for, particularly in ticket writers, is someone who has a really outgoing personality and who can handle a difficult situation with good customer service skills," he said.

American Wagering trains its employees to its particular brand.

"Our ticket writers have a great work ethic and are able to answer with (authority) any questions that people may have," English said.

He encourages people to go on to the company's website and apply, regardless of experience.

"Right now we are looking for people that can handle the game-oriented person that comes to Leroy's," English said. "We are always looking for friendly, customer-service-oriented people, even if you are a programmer. We are a team-oriented operation over here."

Illegal online betting has really put a damper on American betting in general, particularly in Nevada, he pointed out.

"There's $300,000 to $500,000 billion a year that is being spent offshore," English said. "Here in Nevada we have $2.5 to $2.6 billion sent, which is why we went out and went into mobile wagering."

American Wagering has reinvented itself and expanded its business to meet the need of game enthusiasts. An app for the Android allows customers to open an account via their phone. It has recently been approved for the BlackBerry, and American Wagering is attempting to expand to other phone carriers. They have created kiosks in casinos to facilitate the mobile business.

"Mobile wagering is the future for our company," he said.

The 33-year-old company is the first licensed gaming company to enter the projected $48 billion mobile wagering market.

"We are going to try to recapture that and keep the money here in Nevada," he said, adding this may increase employment for the company. "We are making it more efficient for our company and the consumer."

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