If you like hanging out at casinos and pouring drinks, you’re in one of the right cities. The Crescent Schools of Gaming and Bartending, opened since 1983, are flourishing from the Gulf Coast to Las Vegas.
Casino.org reports the salaries and tip potential for professional casino dealers varies, but many can earn up to $60,000 a year, and tips can bring in $50 or more per hour.
Casino gambling expert Al Moe said while no industry is foolproof or recession proof, casino jobs keep opening up because new casinos are still being built. He said casino dealers can make as much as $100,000 per year.
According to U.S. News and World Report, employment for bartenders should grow at a rate of nearly 12 percent between 2012 and 2022.
It’s because of this growing demand for professionally trained bartenders, beverage managers and casino dealers that Crescent Schools, one of the few accredited Bartending/ Beverage Management and Casino Dealing schools in the U.S., have been able to place thousands of graduates in positions throughout the gaming and hospitality industries including Caesar’s Palace, Harrah's Hotel and Casino and the Flamingo Hotel and Casino.
Now in 4 locations, including 209 N. Broad St. in New Orleans, Las Vegas, NV, Tunica Resorts, MS and Gulfport, MS, Crescent Schools tell prospective students they can get ready to professionally bartend in just 3 weeks and be read to score a job in the casino industry in just 3 months.
The schools offer financial aid, via VA Funding and MTA (Military Tuition Assistance), WIA/WIN Funding, Federal Pell Grants and Federal Stafford Loans, and even help foreign students enroll. The schools can issue U.S. Department of Immigration & Naturalization I-20 forms, and as a M-1 visitor to the U.S., foreign students are able to enroll and complete assigned courses within Federal guidelines.
The school’s official mission is, “to provide willing individuals with the technical knowledge and practical experience necessary to succeed and excel in rewarding positions in the gaming and hospitality industries.”
Crescent Schools said their graduates will walk away with competence, confidence, proficiency and a professional attitude.
All four Crescent Schools of Gaming and Bartending campuses feature full-size bars with multiple workstations and gaming labs with regulation size tables and related equipment.
Bartending and beverage management programs are designed to give students “hands on” behind the bar training and enable them to master the art of mixing drinks quickly. To earn a Bartending Certificate, in 45 class hours, students must gain a full understanding of liquors and liqueurs, learn how to make more than 200 cocktails, speak bar lingo and adopt customer service tips, learn everything there is to know about the back bar and under bar and work with bar tools and equipment.
The Beverage Management program takes 12 weeks and will help bartenders move into head bartender or beverage manager positions. Students get to visit working breweries, talk with industry experts, learn about staffing, inventory management, cost control and marketing.
When it comes to gaming, Crescent Schools said graduates will gain a complete understanding of the rules, techniques, systems, procedures, equipment and theory of Blackjack, Roulette, Poker, Mini-Baccarat/ Carnival Games and Craps. There’s a 350-hour Two Game Dealing Program and a 750-hour Comprehensive Dealing Program available.
Upon graduation, a placement staff helps set up auditions and job interviews, and, as graduates and lifelong members, alumni are welcome to return to practice in the school’s facilities, take advantage of placement services and attend refresher courses at no charge.
Crescent Schools of Gaming and Bartending Locations:
New Orleans
209 N. Broad St.
New Orleans, LA 70119
(504) 822-3362
Serving New Orleans, Metairie, St Bernard, Chalmette, Westwego, Marrero, River Ridge, Slidell, Kenner, Gretna, St Rose, LaPlace, Covington, Buras, Violet and Baton Rouge
Las Vegas
4180 S. Sandhill Dr. Suite B-8
Las Vegas, NV 89121
(702) 458-9910
Serving Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, Summerlin, Pahrump, Laughlin, Boulder City, Mesquite, Primm, Indian Springs, Mt. Charleston and St George, UT
Tunica Resorts
2981 Grand Casino Pkwy S Ext
Tunica Resorts, MS 38664
(662) 363-9999
Serving Tunica, Robinsonville, West Helena, Oxford, Tupelo, South Haven, Horn Lake, Olive Branch, Mumford, Marion, Clarksdale, Starkville, Ashland, Ashville, Ripley, Grenada, Senetobia, Memphis, TN and West Memphis, AR.
Gulfport
1306 29th Ave.
Gulfport, MS 39501
(228) 822-2444
Serving Gulfport, Biloxi, Long Beach, Pass Christian, Bay St Louis, Pascagoula, Ocean Springs, Gautier, Waveland, Moss Point, Hattiesburg and Mobile, AL.
