Overview

The Greater Boston Gaming Career Institute launches this Fall on the campus of Cambridge College in Charlestown. Working in collaboration with Encore Boston Harbor and under licensure by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, the program is designed to produce qualified, employment-ready gaming professionals who are ready to start an exciting new career in Greater Boston’s red-hot hospitality industry.

With the $2.5 billion five-star Encore Boston Harbor Resort opening in June of 2019, this could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance for professional growth that could substantially increase your income over time—while serving the world, and having fun.

  • More than 1,100 full- and part-time dealer openings at Encore Boston Harbor
  • Ideal for anyone 18 years of age or older
  • Classes taught by professional dealers
  • High School diploma not required
  • Only an 8th grade math skill level required
  • Friendly, outgoing personality is a plus
  • School located less than two miles from the Encore Boston Harbor Resort and easily accessible via the MBTA’s Orange Line

Schedule

Applications are now being accepted for the Gaming Career Institute’s fall semester which begins in August, 2019, and runs from 9 to 14 weeks, depending on the game you choose to learn. The two games currently offered are Perfecting Poker and Mastering Blackjack. Classes are held four days per week, Monday through Thursday. Makeup days will be held on Fridays and/or Saturdays. Classes are held throughout the day to accommodate the work and personal schedule of students.

  • 8 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
  • 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
  • 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Weekend classes (Blackjack only) will also be available in the fall semester, which begins in August. The classes will run for 9 weeks on Saturdays and Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

You must stay with the class time you choose for the duration for the program. For example, if you choose the 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. time slot, you are required to show up for classes at that time for every class, every week. This allows you to become more comfortable with classmates and progress with the same instructor at the curriculum pace that he or she has established.

Programs

To meet casino hiring requirements, every student must be trained in a minimum of one game to be employed. An additional game must be learned within 24 months. The two programs currently available at the Greater Boston Gaming Career Institute are:

Mastering Blackjack

16 hours per week for 9 weeks (weekday classes)
16 hours a week for 9 weeks (weekend classes)
You will learn in this program:
Blackjack
Customer Service Fundamentals
Responsible Gaming
CPR Training

Perfecting Poker

16 hours per week for 14 weeks
You will learn in this program:
Poker
Customer Service Fundamentals
Responsible Gaming
CPR Training

The cost per program—Perfecting Poker or Mastering Blackjack—is $700 each.

Each gaming program is taught by professional casino dealers using the latest tables and gaming equipment.

Curriculum

Each program involves approximately 16 hours per week for 14 weeks/210 total hours (Perfecting Poker) or 9 weeks/140 total hours (Mastering Blackjack) and includes responsible gaming, customer service and CPR training. Upon graduation, students will have the skillset required to become a premier tables-game dealer.

Attendance

The material covered in each program is sequential and requires students to build skills and knowledge over time. Daily attendance is absolutely essential to successfully complete each program. If a student misses class for any reason, he or she is responsible for making arrangements to satisfy program time requirements. A student who misses two (2) consecutive days will automatically be dismissed from the program and can only re-enter with the approval of the instructor.

Tardiness

Every student must arrive for class on time. Tardiness is counted in half-hour increments (for example, if you arrive at 8:05 a.m. for an 8 a.m. class, you will be counted as being a half-hour late. Late time is counted as missed class time against total program hours.

Assignments & Tests

All materials and skills introduced in class should be reviewed and practiced before the start of the next class. Failure to practice can result in poor progress and not graduating from the program. Students will be evaluated by written and verbal tests as they progress through the program.

Application Process

The process requires each student to complete the following:

  • Basic math test
  • Online application and signed student contract acknowledging awareness of the required flexible work schedule, CORI, drug screening and successful completion of Mass. Gaming Licensing
  • A short panel interview with representatives from the Gaming Career Institute and Encore Boston Harbor—to assess aptitude and personality for a position as a table games dealer

Commitment to Graduates

Completion of the Greater Boston Gaming Career Institute program is the first step towards the goal of employment. Encore Boston Harbor is committed to interviewing graduates for possible employment. Becoming a viable employment candidate requires: graduating from the program, passing an “audition,” clearing Encore Boston Harbor background screening, passing a drug test and receiving a gaming license from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.