This Women’s Month, we focus on someone who has made working in a casino her career, from Tables croupier to gaming floor manager.
Beaulah Louw applied to work at Boardwalk Hotel, Casino & Convention Centre in Gqeberha before it opened in 2000. She was appointed and sent for training as a croupier.
“I was very quiet and as tables are customer-facing I didn’t think I could do the job,” she says, “but over the years I’ve learnt that I can do many things I didn’t think I could do. Over time I was promoted to Tables floor inspector, and since last year I have been a gaming floor manager.”
The exciting and stimulating gaming environment is a 24/7 operation, which offers flexibility for women, who are still more likely than men to be combining work and family. However, the challenges women experience are the same as they are for men, says Beaulah.
“The hours are long and dealers have to work some shifts at night and over weekends, but they are rostered. If they need to be off for a particular family occasion this can be worked into the roster which makes it possible for parents to attend graduations, school days, sports events and so on. We all work the same hours so if an emergency comes up our colleagues are happy to step in for us, as we are happy to do for them.
“In casinos, men and women are equal and women can be anything they want to be. There are no gender limitations.”
That said, there are generally more women dealers than men. The casino tries to keep a balance but women are probably a little bit more patient, says Beaulah. “Maybe we are just more forgiving. When a customer is rude to me I know that they are probably dealing with something in their personal life and I don’t take it personally.
“As women, we break down, but we know we have to pick ourselves up the next day. Perhaps we learn resilience from being pregnant, giving birth, nurturing children – we learn to focus on what has to be done, and we put everything else behind us.”
Croupiers deal cards at tables or spin roulette wheels. As a Tables floor inspector, Beaulah was responsible for standing between the tables to keep an eye on operations. “Croupiers have good maths skills and are able to do mental calculations, but everyone is human and can make mistakes, that’s what inspectors are there for – they keep an eye on what is happening at tables that are in play,” she explains.
“Gaming floor managers now oversee tables and slots. We walk between the areas to ensure operations are running smoothly and we respond to requests for assistance from guests or from slots floor staff. In my new position I walk around a lot,” she smiles.
Having come from a Tables background, Beaulah had to learn about slots for her current position, “Players are also different to Tables players,” she says. “At the tables, the customer is always facing you so the experience is more personal. Tables customers are also more chatty, especially if the table is quiet. A slots player is focused on the machine so the interaction is different.”
Beaulah loves her job and is pleased she ended up in this industry, “This job has not only given me a happy and stable career, but Sun International has also made it possible for me to provide a quality education for my children,” she says.
“They have given me study assistance to pay for uniforms and school fees and I have been able to tap into the bursary scheme for further education for my children. If my roof blows off or my house is flooded I know that I can turn to Sun International for help. Not many companies will do that. And of course I can also study further, and recently I’ve thought about doing psychology and counselling courses.”
