Inside the Hard Rock Northern Indiana internship course

Learning the craft of casino games is no easy task, a Chicago Tribune columnist witnessed first hand during week two 10 weeks old dealer course taking place in the pavilion Majestic Star in Gary, Indiana, training new recruits to Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana.

Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana

Casino o worth $ 300 million, located right next to interstate 80/94, int neighborhood Burr Street Interchange, announced in November that it intends to hire around 200 new dealers, with or without gaming experience, before opening in spring 2021.

Inside the two casino boats anchored in Buffington Harbor above Lake Michigan from mid-90s of the twentieth century new employees have learned that dice is one of the most difficult games as it contains several smaller games into one bigger one and requires a lot of homework and training and repetition to master its art.

"These new trainees with dealers are learning the basics of the game."

Thomas Gutierrez, Table Games Director, Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana

Like everyone else, Thomas Gutierrez started out as a casino dealer, managed to climb the corporate ladder and will now continue to serve as table games director at the new casino center, which will include a gambling hall with 1600 slot machines and 80 table games. an extensive complex of games and entertainment of Fr. of 200,000 square feet.

Bones are like a foreign language

Josh Cole, the dealer Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati, he was brought here to teach new workers the skills necessary to play dice.

"Learning to play dice is like learning a foreign language when you consider all its terms and sequence of actions."

Josh Cole, dealer, Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati

New traders learn how to slash casino chips, how to move the dice across the table triggering every dice roll, and most importantly how to do it all with energy levels to engage everyone at the table, a complex and challenging task for most of them.

“We are looking for something special from these new dealers. We can teach the basics and procedures of the game. We cannot teach personality. It's crucial. "

Thomas Gutierrez, Table Games Director, Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana

Unlike croupiers who learn craps, trainees don't know anything about the casino language and have to learn both the game and the specific announcements at the same time, "it's like learning two foreign languages every day," noted Josh Cole.

Tempting incentives

But the incentives are great because everyone who completes the training gets a bonus of up to 2000 USD, full benefits and a new career opportunity, despite the significant impact on the casino industry from coronavirus restrictions and safety guidelines.

“We are aware that it has been a difficult year for people in the hospitality industry. We are glad that so many of them can return to work. The project is on track to provide the area with a much needed economic boost. '

Dawn Reynolds-Pettit, VP of HR, Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana

The casino assets to be generated for the state are over $ 20 million annually, it also recruits for other positions including restaurant managers, chefs and cooks, bartenders, waiters and cashiers, as well as for positions in security, finance, marketing and guest relations.