Dealer Tokes

Hi, Anyone out there had any experience with Dealers being on a Point System for thier Tokes? We are looking at implementing this at my current Casino. Any feedback will be appreciated. ;)

never heard of this. Pooled or go for your own.

What is this point system? Elaborate plx.

Quote: RS

What is this point system? Elaborate plx.

Im assuming based on your points earned for dealing a smooth game, no incidents, or anything involving good cutomer service youd get a higher equity chop on the daily tokes. But dont worry i called every casino in town to complain about you so you wont be getting extra :-)

Horseshoe Cleveland had Pit Bosses (aka "coaches") with a "how am I doing? Would you give me an A+" tag below their nametags for a while last summer/fall.

A coach named Derek is a Fool. I would use worse terminology, but it is not allowed because we are not all 18+ in this forum apparently, but needless to say, he is a Fool, with a Capital F.

I doubt it effected anything, but I gave that Fool an F rating when given the chance. I hope he is mainlining rat piss with dirty needles for entertainment these days, as I don't see him anymore at the Horseshoe (but I go during specific times, and he may have a different shift now.)

All that to say, while the OP is more than likely a one hit wonder, it still could be true.

Quote: ontariodealer

never heard of this. Pooled or go for your own.

That was a question to the OP. the OP hasn't answered yet.

I am working in a country where customer service-game speed-appearance ( clean shaven etc) late from break mean nothing. I am trying to find a way to turn this around hopefully in a postive way.

Management /Supervisors are NOT part of the Tokes here.

I have very few staff that do indeed take pride in their work and should be rewarded. I know of some casinos in the past that on a nightly basis based thier tokes on points at the start of their shift. The persons that do thier job would not lose any points which results in going home with good tips for the night. Those that choose not to do their job will not go home with 100% of what is collected that night.


Any positive feedback would be appreciated. Please do not reply if you can not give me any . THX

Let me see if I understand -

Tokes are pooled
If you don't meet with someone's approval, you don't get your share of the pool

Does that make someone else's share bigger?
Who decides who gets points?

Quote: skelly065

Hi, Anyone out there had any experience with Dealers being on a Point System for thier Tokes? We are looking at implementing this at my current Casino. Any feedback will be appreciated. ;)

This would be wrought with such politics and favoritism it either won't happen, or end up as criminal nepotism in the end if it does happen.

Either promote a good dealer to supervision, or fire a bad attitude dead-beat dealer from the place.

your toke committee better lawyer up.

Ok, I wrote a long and detailed reply to this and lost it to an internet failure. Grrrr.

Your points system will be a disaster, leading to resentment and a block of people who will shortly be performing at minimum expectation to keep their jobs. Been there, done that, in a teamwork environment. Learn from our mistake, please.

I suggest you incentivize instead. Let people earn their base pay, and either pool their tips equitably or keep their own. Do NOT apportion those tips, if you pool them, other than evenly; they were not earned by you, they were earned by your dealers.

Set goals, and make matching bonuses from CASINO money for performance. Goals should be for teams so you get the benefit of peer pressure to raise performance levels. Since you don't say what problems you're trying to address, for generic examples:

If a team has tardiness issues, for every week they (ALL of them) aren't late to work (unexcused) or late back from break, match their tips by 2.5% for that week.

If a team is being rude to customers, for every week they go without an ugly confrontation or documented rudeness, match their base pay with a 5% bonus.

Or, maybe you want to reward individual performance in a way that encourages others. Again, tardiness; for every shift worked with no late reports, give a ticket for a drawing. At the end of the month, give a significant gift purchased with COMPANY money; LED tv, gift certificate, whatever, but not crap. Even better, each ticket earned could go towards a team reward, and everybody on that team benefits when that ticket is drawn.

You can make these types of incentives time-limited. You can change the goals as performance improves, address different problems in different months by designing new incentives. If you use the match, it's ok to make it hard to reach, and to have weeks or months when they fail; you're trying to improve gradually, and change attitudes more than anything. And it's important that you use company money, not their tips, and make it clear that it's extra incentive, not threatening their base. The improvements should result in a better bottom line for you, so in the end, it won't cost you anything to do it, because you'll be making both your employees and your customers happier with their gaming experience, which makes you more money.

Good luck.

Quote: ontariodealer

your toke committee better lawyer up.

Not Even Necessary. I appreciate BBB's input, but when it involves "gaming revenue," [cough], you cannot do what you think fit....not "may not do..." - Cannot do.

Simply put, there are TWO incentives/discouragements for dealers:
1. Being promoted to floor, or;
2. Being sacked.

Either of which is not scary at all, or totally scary, depending.....

Toke money, as gaming revenue-based salary, is not to be farted around with: "Incentives using CASINO REVENUE for "favored employees"....hmmm....you're late...you're rude...you're slow dealing...it is Tuesday and it is raining...my nephew Jimmy is a great dealer at this joint....Vanessa the dealer's aft-side looks great in those tight black dealer slacks...hmm...let me see here....let me adjust the salary basis here....."

Absolutely not happening...

Your local Gaming Control Board, along with the Labor Relations board, will pop into the joint speaking some German....Toke committee: dismissed. ("This doesn't seem to be described as a part of your Internal Controls over here...")

When it concerns gaming revenue distribution, a higher authority will have its say. And they will say "do not get creative, as that will involve favoritism and politics...."

Quote: Paigowdan

Not Even Necessary. I appreciate BBB's input, but when it involves "gaming revenue," [cough], you cannot do what you think fit....not "may not do..." - Cannot do.

Simply put, there are TWO incentives/discouragements for dealers:
1. Being promoted to floor, or;
2. Being sacked.

Either of which is not scary at all, or totally scary, depending.....

Toke money, as gaming revenue-based salary, is not to be farted around with: "Incentives using CASINO REVENUE for "favored employees"....hmmm...."

Your local Gaming Control Board, along with the Labor Relations board, will pop into the joint speaking some German....Toke committee: dismissed. ("This doesn't seem to be described as a part of your Internal Controls over here...")

When it concerns gaming revenue distribution, a higher authority will have its say. And they will say "do not get creative, as that will involve favoritism and politics...."

I don't know the casino business, but there's an operating budget for employees in every business. I'm talking about an incentive line item in that payroll designation. If it's somehow not possible by regulation to implement just because it's gaming, then disregard the incentive idea.

Quote: BBB

I don't know the casino business, but there's an operating budget for employees in every business. I'm talking about an incentive line item in that payroll designation. If it's somehow not possible by regulation to implement just because it's gaming, then disregard the incentive idea.

The casino operations business on the pit level is tightly managed to prevent any sort of nepotism, because if given an inch, it is the San Andreas fault. If it becomes political, it is North Korea political contentions at ANY gambling joint.

You suit up, you show up on time, you deal properly, you get into no altercations with any player, then you keep your job, and get paid the same like all other acceptable employees, and maybe get promoted to dual-rate floor if stellar. Fail standards, and you are sacked.

With THESE VERY strict parameters, it can still remain extremely political and very prone to nepotism.

BIG MONEY and ALL MONEY is an extremely sensitive and closely-watch fluid that is floating around the casino pit floor. There is no "Johnny the dealer looks like a good boy, I'll skim a little off the toke pool to reward him extra,"..... or, "I think Jimmy's a prick to me - I'll cut his tokes salary, even though he's struggling to feed his family and make ends meet...." All dealers are pretty much equal, and if not, they are released from service.

To prevent nepotism in the pit, you are either "an acceptable and equal worker," - or are no longer working at that joint. All dealers get paid the same, and all floormen get paid the same, or else you have a political money problem, or labor problem, going down in your casino pit.

There is simply no room in the casino pit for a "budgeted incentive" for your "Home Boy working a table" - with all that buy-in cash flowing around.....sorry to explain this.

None of this "up and down" is happening, - casino revenue - including that expended for employee salary - with arbitrary favor or disfavor -, to the best of corporate regulation ability. Shift managers and above may get bonuses, however.

NOTE: sometimes a Walmart gift card or movie tickets are awarded for perfect attendance and the like, at the pit level. In a privately owned gambling house, things may be different.

I agree with Paigowdan. If someone doesn't come back from break on time, has a bad attitude, isn't neat in appearance, just write them up. If they are written up 3 times fire them. Promote them if they do well.

Quote: MissEye

I agree with Paigowdan. If someone doesn't come back from break on time, has a bad attitude, isn't neat in appearance, just write them up. If they are written up 3 times fire them. Promote them if they do well.

Dealers are there to serve gamblers and our casino house bosses, really, doesn't matter how we feel about it, and it's generally......not always good or peachy. Can't do that part of the job, then don't have the job. Attitude, respect, and comfort at work is the biggie, everyone's dealing hands and math are good enough after a while...be better, go up, be worse, go down....

Suit up, show up, try to have fun, good attitude, get tapped out and go home....go home to the wife (hopefully lovey-dovey).....if not, watch cable, eat Doritos....then go sleepy...day off?...add movie and steak house....

Repeat and rinse....(rinse and repeat....)

Edit: hold on a second....this is every salaried job.....

Quote: skelly065

I am working in a country where customer service-game speed-appearance ( clean shaven etc) late from break mean nothing. I am trying to find a way to turn this around hopefully in a postive way.

Management /Supervisors are NOT part of the Tokes here.

I have very few staff that do indeed take pride in their work and should be rewarded. I know of some casinos in the past that on a nightly basis based thier tokes on points at the start of their shift. The persons that do thier job would not lose any points which results in going home with good tips for the night. Those that choose not to do their job will not go home with 100% of what is collected that night.


Any positive feedback would be appreciated. Please do not reply if you can not give me any . THX

Ok where to start. I've never worked in casino management. But I've run a business for almost 20 years, and before that been in a management role for several companies big and small. Let me say this. Any rewards system designed to motivate employees run by management where there is not complete transparency is doomed to fail. Even if you hand out these "points" in the fairest possible way...those who receive less points will think you are biased against them. Those that receive more will be perceived as management suck ups by the rest. It's just a bad idea. Doomed to failure, for the reason above and a dozen more I could think of if I tried hard.

The other bad idea is when you ask a question and say you only want positive feedback. It's just about the worst management technique ever. If you ask for peoples opinions you have to accept the answers both positive and negative. It's like when the boss says "my door is always open". But he doesn't listen to a word anybody says. Complete waste of everybody's time.