Life of a Live Dealer: How Live Dealers Work and How You Can Become One

Interviews with Live Dealers

I’ve interviewed several people who work as live dealers, so you can get some first-hand answers from people already employed as live dealers for studios such as Genting, Ezugi, Evolution and the now-defunct NetEnt.

Here is what they had to say:

• Interview with Natalia – Ezugi April 2016.
• Interview with Alla – July 2017 Ezugi.
• Interview with Laura – Genting, March 2017.
• Interview with Samuel – Netent, January 2019.
• Interview with Disa – Evolution, March 2016.

Differences between land-based and studio work

The most significant difference between working at a land-based casino and a studio is you won’t be physically near your customers in a studio.

Everyone who has ever worked as a croupier at a casino knows dealing with people can be challenging as they are sometimes tricky, drunk, or both, especially during late-night hours.

A Live dealer job is a more peaceful experience since the customers are behind the computer screen, and you’re alone in the studio with just a camera for company.

Players tipping is a custom encouraged in land-based casinos and becomes an integral part of a dealer’s salary. Online, while it’s available at some tables, players are not encouraged to tip. Most playing interfaces don’t have the facility, and with the ones that do, you can never be sure the tips make it to the dealers.

For better or worse, you’ll have to deal with people in a land-based casino. However, you’ll be all alone in a studio but under the spotlight more, with every action you make closely critiqued by the people paying online.

Live Dealer Job Requirements

You can become a live dealer with or without previous experience at a land-based casino. Though it helps if you have experience in either dealing, presenting and playing table games, as the new employer will see you have the aptitude and interest in the job role, you’ll require less training than someone who knows nothing.

You are, however, expected to have an understanding of the games you’re applying to be a live dealer for.

If you don’t, use online resources to learn how to play and then have a go on the online tables and play for real.

Practice with friends and also watch croupier training videos on YouTube.

In reality, your job application will depend on how presentable you look and whether the employer thinks you can be the face of the game.

Being willing to relocate is a significant factor as well.

You’ll likely go through a standard training program, ensuring you meet a minimum standard across the three base games of Blackjack, Baccarat and Roulette.

As you progress in the role, you’ll find your niche, which could be related to language or specific game types.

For example, a Chinese baccarat live dealer in Malta or a live roulette dealer at an XXXtreme Lightning Roulette table.

There is a danger you’ll end up with less job mobility if you are employed in a niche game, so be sure to find a supplier that gives you plenty of cross-training opportunities. Otherwise, you’ll probably be typecast for good.

And I do intentionally use the word typecast. This is, in fact, a job where you’re cast to play a specific role.

The more complex live games have less competition for live dealer jobs. For example, to be a live baccarat dealer, you must have a perfect real-time understanding of the complexities of the third card rule in baccarat. On the other hand, roulette jobs are easier to find.

As native-language live dealer games are increasingly popular, there is a growing demand for live dealers with native-language skills. It’s just an advantage not having English as your native language. While the competition for jobs is still fierce, securing a position as a Turkish live dealer may be easier than an English-speaking one.

The same goes for other nationalities considered exotic, such as Indian live dealers for games such as Teen Patti and Andar Bahar.

If you are not a native English speaker, the first step you should take is to check if any company is specifically seeking your nationality.

This may increase your chances of employment significantly. For instance, if you are a young, experienced Greek croupier and a company actively seeks Greek live dealers, well, hundreds of people probably won’t be applying.

How to find a Live Dealer Job

Your best bet is Google. Search for “live dealer jobs” or something specific such as “live dealer roulette jobs”, and you’ll see live dealer job openings posted at regular job sites, gambling-specific job sites, and the sites of operators.

It might take quite a bit of digging to find the job opening at your desired location, but emailing each operator directly and sending them your CV is an effective way of finding jobs that may not be openly advertised. All live dealer operators are in the navigation menu above this page.

Live Dealer Studio Locations

Since there are only a handful of live studios in the world, the chances there’s one in your city of residence are slim.

In most cases, you’ll have to relocate to another city and often another country.

Here is a brief and incomplete list of some live operators’ studio locations.

The only way to find out the exact locations of a company is to ask them while applying for a job, as new studios are constantly being opened.

Let’s take a look at continental Europe:

And here are some studios in North and South America.

In addition to the studio locations above, note that Authentic Gaming streams roulette from live casino locations such as Aspers (UK), Casino International Batumi (Georgia), Royal Casino (Denmark), and Foxwoods Resort Casino (USA).

In this case, you’d be working at an actual land-based casino but visible online in Authentic Gaming games.

Other game providers have individual games streamed from real locations, not studios.

Pros and Cons of Working as a live dealer

The role of a live dealer is a well-paying job that offers the possibility of relocating to different countries.

Unfortunately, the career of a live dealer depends on age and good looks more than one would like to admit.

As the presenter and face of the game, the live dealer is expected to conform to certain stereotypes, but this is changing as more operators employ a more diverse range of people.

However, it’s rarer to see live dealers of a certain age.

As a result, live dealer careers are relatively short-lived. Individuals must transition to other jobs in the same industry, such as Floor Manager, or leave the industry altogether.

Remember that a live dealer’s job has an expiration date.

Most live Dealers tend to be students as the work hours are flexible and often fit in with studies and vacation times.

However, being a live dealer provides a fantastic experience and is an excellent starting point for pursuing other opportunities in the future.