Casino management training is continuing to progress in the state of New York. The State University of New York (SUNY) at Broome Community College can earn a degree in – casino management. For those interested, the degree is an AAS (Associate in Applied Science). This program adds to the existing casino management program at Schenectady County Community College in New York.
If you have been playing at a casino for any length of time, whether it is land-based or online, you have played at what is commonly called a “bad” casino. Either the payouts were low or the quality of games was poor, you felt that you had gotten cheated somehow. However, later you realize that the odds are against you and that you are not going to win every time out.
But what doesn’t happen often when you actually think the casino was managed poorly. What we base our favorite places to go to play is primarily based on whether we have good luck at the casino or if they have the types of slots or table games we like to play. How much does the average player know about how the casino is supposed to be run, or what actually goes on behind the scenes?
The courses offered for the degree include:
- Introductions for the Hospitality Freshman
- Introduction to the Gaming Industry
- Casino Internship I
- Gaming Surveillance and Security
- Hospitality Law
- Bar Tending and Beverage Management
- Casino Games
- Psychology of Addiction
- Casino Operations Management
Now honestly, I didn’t know there was a thing called Hospitality Law. But this select list does seem to cover the basics. The classroom is a mock casino with table games of roulette, craps, and blackjack. A bar is also part of the setting, though no slot machines.
This is a bold step by the state of New York, but it also shows a certain commitment to the future of state-operated casinos. Currently, there are 22 applications for four new licenses, and the demand for new casino construction appears to be continuing to rise. An important point here is that the demand is across the state, so regardless of the concentration of population, casinos are being welcomed statewide. What is oddly absent from this story is the presence of anti-gambling groups.
The importance of this story is whether or not casinos can actually improve their operations yet still be profitable in a state-operated environment to help players win more cash. We know the entire casino process is politicized in one way or another. But will better management give way to a more efficient system that benefits both players and operators? That is really all I care about…
Up to now, casinos have been built to enhance the , making it more attractive and comfortable. That has resulted in hotel-casino complexes that focus more on the experience than on the gaming. Players play to win, not just have fun. A casino that is operated more efficiently, specifically by minimizing its operating expenses, will have more revenue to spread around. If its owners do not get greedier than they already are, the savings can be used to increase the payout percentages of the slots, while still making money. That’s what I call a win-win.
If anything, the creation and approval of these casino programs by the state is a tacit endorsement of casino operations in the state for the foreseeable future. The question nobody seems to be asking is how is it that they can have such a viable and growing state-operated casino market across the state. The state ranks 8th in the country in the amount of personal disposal income and it looks like they want their residents to spend it gambling.
Ahead of it are the states of Massachusetts, New Jersey and Connecticut where casino construction and operation is either stalled or has limited attraction. In light of progressive education, perhaps New York has approached its gambling plan as an investment rather than a short-term solution for failing revenues.
