What Are the Best Casino Dealer Schools in Europe?
The casino gambling industry is currently thriving throughout the European Union (EU), with new venues opening every year across the continent.
In fact, according to the European Casino Association (ECA), which annually publishes a comprehensive industry report known as the ECA European Casino Industry Report, the organization now represents “approximately 900 casinos and over 70,000 employees in 25 countries.” Overall, casino gambling across Europe encompasses an industry valued at more than €8 billion.
Among the most venerable and frequently visited casinos on the continent are the Casino de Monte Carlo in Monaco; the Casino at the Empire in London, England; and the Casino Estoril in Estoril, Portugal. But with the total count of European casinos quickly approaching 1,000, and ground being broken on new establishments seemingly every month, let alone online technological developments in Live Casino games, where home players connect via live streaming to real-life croupiers, the industry has been faced with greater demand for qualified dealers and croupiers.
Source: Empire Casino Leicester Square London
For the casual gambler, or even the seasoned rounder, many table games can appear to be simplistic on a superficial level. After all, placing a wager on which number or color the roulette wheel will land on doesn’t seem require much in the way of critical thinking. But as any dealer or croupier who has manned the roulette table in the casino setting will attest to, even this most basic of games is actually governed by a complex system of available wagers, corresponding payouts based on odds, and other crucial gameplay rules, all of which must be tracked, calculated, and adhered to on every spin.
In addition to the standard number and color bets offered in roulette, the croupier must also be capable of tracking wagers known as “odd,” “even,” “low,” “high,” “dozen,” “column,” “split,” “street,” “corner,” and “line” bets. All this makes roulette gameplay much more complicated that it would first seem, especially for the croupier. With six players at a table, and each placing multiple wagers before a single spin, a roulette croupier must display an almost uncanny ability to process information on the fly. Observing all of the betting action as it occurs, monitoring for breaches of the rules, answering questions from players, all of these actions must be performed perfectly, and that’s before the wheel is even spun. After that, a roulette croupier has to determine winning and losing wagers in a flash, before calculating the appropriate payouts for each winner and distributing the chips in an expedient and efficient fashion.
The advent of online casinos, many of which now utilize Live Dealer technology to connect players with actual dealers via live streaming technology, has further exacerbated the need to train and certify new employees to staff the gaming floor. According to a study conducted by the European Commission, “in 2012 online gambling services represented more than 12% of the EU’s gambling market with annual revenues of over EUR 10 billion.” While those numbers aren’t derived solely from Live Dealer gaming, nearly all major European online casino platforms have launched one version of the technology or another in recent years.
In order to satisfy the overwhelming demand for casino dealers and croupiers who are capable of managing roulette, blackjack, baccarat, and other popular table games, the industry relies on casino dealing schools. In the United Kingdom alone, a total of 16 such schools serve a vital role within the industry, while 14 other European nations are home to 28 more. The best of the bunch are profiled below in alphabetical order, along with brief explanations of each casino dealer school’s area of specialization, curriculum requirements, and job placement opportunities.
Cerus Croupier Academy
Beginning in 2003, the Cerus Croupier Academy has opened 13 individual schools for dealers and croupiers. The academies are located in Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille, Lyon and Strasbourg in France, Manchester and Bristol in the UK, Namur in Belgium, Madrid in Spain, Rome and Milan in Italy, and Nicosia in Cyprus.
During an intensive 10-week training course, new dealers and croupiers learn to manage roulette, blackjack, and poker tables properly and professionally. Upon graduating from one of the 13 schools affiliated with Cerus Croupier Academy, new dealers are provided with assistance in securing a position with industry leading casinos throughout Europe.
The London Academy of Gaming
Located in the heart of the English capital, the London School of Gaming is known as one of the few dealer schools in the UK which that instruction on the six most popular casino table games: roulette, blackjack, three-card poker, five-card Stud poker, Texas Hold’em poker, and Punto Banco.
The school also operates a second London Academy of Gaming location in the online casino hotbed of Cyprus.
Online Live Casino Academy (OLCA)
Online gambling-related commerce represents the second largest segment of Malta’s overall economy, employing more than 10,000 residents and expats, and more than 250 eGaming companies have established hubs there, like OEG did recently,
Considering the country’s close relationship with the industry, it’s no surprise that Malta has also taken the lead in terms of offering Live Dealer instruction. The Online Live Casino Academy (OLCA), located in Malta City, specializes in training dealers and croupiers for the unique job requirements of Live Dealer based online roulette, blackjack, and poker tables. As the Live Dealer component of the online casino industry continues to grow, schools like OLCA will form the educational foundation needed to ensure long-term staffing solutions.
Schulungs-Centrum für Spielbanken und Technologie
After 2015, demand for competent and qualified employees for Live Dealer sites became immediate. The Schulungs-Centrum für Spielbanken und Technologie, which translates to the Training Center for Casinos and Technology, operates out of two locations: Lindau, in Southern Germany, and the Swiss city of Chur. Students are taught how to manage roulette, blackjack and poker games according to typically rigorous Swiss requirements.
For an insight into the job and life of a former croupier, read our interview with Glyn Thomas. If you are entertaining the thought of joining the casino industry as a dealer or croupier, be aware that it’s a booming field with many opportunities, and it’s best to learn from the best, at the schools mentioned above.
