FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. - A school for aspiring casino dealers is luring laid-off Ohio residents across the state line to Michigan for a fresh start in the gambling industry. But they plan to return to Ohio, ready to compete for jobs.
ABC School of Bartending and Casino College in southeastern Michigan teaches students how to count poker chips, deal cards and manage a game of blackjack, among other skills. Instructor Lee Chau says many students from Ohio are hoping his classes will give them an edge over other applicants for jobs at casinos to be built in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and Toledo.
“Come on now, 20 at a time,” Chau coached Rose Leitaert, a 57-year-old laid-off restaurant worker from Michigan, as she tried to pick up a stack of chips during a recent class. “They aren’t going to let you work unless you can hold them all at once.”
Chau, who teaches blackjack, roulette and craps, said he has trained nearly 200 Ohio residents in the past two years. Most of the people in his classes are unemployed workers from Ohio and Michigan vying for one of the estimated 7,500 full-time jobs created by Ohio’s planned new casinos.
In November, after months of acrimonious debate, Ohio voters approved Issue 3, a state constitutional amendment that allows casinos across the state.
During nearly 300 hours of training for a dealer “certification,” students learn how to properly count chips, manage a game and deal blackjack and basic poker games.
The program costs about $1,000.
The certification is not required to work in a casino, but graduates of the course say it gives them a leg up on other applicants.
The college plans to open locations in Cleveland and Columbus next spring.
Chen, a former Atlantic City card dealer, said he fields dozens of calls weekly from Ohioans who want to sign up for the course.
“This shows the community and residents of Ohio are anxious for the jobs Issue 3 will bring and they are preparing themselves,” said Jennifer Kulczycki, a spokeswoman for Quicken Loans, owned by Cleveland Cavaliers owner and casino backer Dan Gilbert.
John Pifer, who directs the Sacramento, Calif.-based Casino College, which has operations in more than 20 U.S. cities, said the casino jobs appeal to people who are down on their luck.
“This is a very low-stress job, and you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to do it,” Pifer said. “It is something an average guy can go do and make $50,000 to $60,000 a year. Gaming survives all economies.”
Adam Smith, 24, enrolled in the course after campaigning for Issue 3.
“The more games you know, the better the chance you can end up in the casino,” said Smith, who is from the Dayton area. “They say these jobs are for Ohio, and I am going to do what I can to be one of the first people to get one.”
From The Plain Dealer, http://www.cleveland.com
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