Occupations · Personal Care and Service
Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners
Post information enabling patrons to wager on various races and sporting events. Assist in the operation of games such as keno and bingo. May operate random number-generating equipment and announce the numbers for patrons. Receive, verify, and record patrons' wagers. Scan and process winning tickets presented by patrons and pay out winnings for those wagers.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 39-3012.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 62% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | $30,000 | 750 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $53,120 | 160 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | $35,420 | 150 |
| Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA | $28,320 | 150 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $29,210 | 140 |
| Reno, NV | $31,680 | 140 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $28,480 | 120 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $33,610 | 110 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $36,030 | 110 |
| Missoula, MT | $22,340 | 110 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $36,400 | 100 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $28,080 | 100 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Conduct gambling tables or games, such as dice, roulette, cards, or keno, and ensure that game rules are followed.
- Operate games in which players bet that a ball will come to rest in a particular slot on a rotating wheel, performing actions such as spinning the wheel and releasing the ball.
- Exchange paper currency for playing chips or coins.
- Compare the house hand with players' hands to determine the winner.
- Open or close cash floats or game tables.
- Pay off or move bets as established by game rules and procedures.
- Collect bets in the form of cash or chips, verifying and recording amounts.
- Start gaming equipment that randomly selects numbered balls and announce winning numbers and colors.
- Check to ensure that all players have placed their bets before play begins.
- Collect cards or tickets from players.
- Inspect cards or equipment to be used in games to ensure they are in proper condition.
- Compute and verify amounts won or lost, paying out winnings or referring patrons to workers, such as gaming cashiers, so that winnings can be collected.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2014-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2014-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Provide race or game information to patrons.
- Serve drinks to patrons.
O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 2
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| bookmaker | 4212.2 | exact |
| lottery operator | 4212.6 | close |
| odds compiler | 4212.7 | close |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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