While the check-in was pretty smooth and seamless when we worked the Chicago event, we were considered "vendor employees" at the Horseshoe. At the last minute our managers discovered that the Hollywood decided they wanted a little tighter security and required that each of us get valid Indiana gaming licenses. Makes check-in a little more hassle. Forms to fill out, HR processes to go through, drug test, and we actually have to apply for a gaming license through the casino's HR department. Getting started here is a little more difficult. While things were really smooth in Chicago, the same management crew is having a little more trouble this time around.
Woody Allen once said, "80% of success in life is just showing up." What makes it a lot easier is when management lets everybody know with certainty when and where they need to be. They've been having a little trouble with that this time around. It is a new venue for this team. I'm sure they'll get it together.
The challenge the casino has is that they while they would like to put on a big splashy poker tournament and get hundreds of players to show up at their casino, they don't have enough Poker Dealers to handle it. Steve and Charlie to the rescue! They contract with casinos all over to provide a crew of dealers to work the events. They support the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and the World Poker Tour (WPT) as well as other regional events like this one. Depending on the gaming laws in each state and the requirements of each casino hosting the event, the dealers might be independent contractors, vendor staff or direct employees of the casino. To deal the tournaments, dealers may or may not need a gaming license from the state, but if they want dealers to handle cash or deal any cash games outside of the tournamens, the license is required.
The different combinations are interesting. When I worked New Orleans, we were paid as independent contractors rather than employees, but we still needed to get a Louisiana gaming license to deal. In Chicago, we didn't need the license but were Horseshoe employees and were restricted to dealing the tournaments. We couldn't handle cash or cash value casino chips. For Iowa, we have been told that we will get a license and simply be added to the current dealer crew and take shifts at the cash tables as well as the tournaments. Now here at Lawrenceburg, we have gone through the Penn National Gaming HR support process and are regular, temporary casino employees. Later today we will complete the gaming license process. That will free us of the restrictions of non-gaming employees and allow us to deal any table in the casino. No word yet on whether we'll take advantage of that. Cash games are nice because you usually get to keep your own tips. We'll see how it all plays out.
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