In Australia, it is illegal to tip any dealers in land based casinos – a law carried throughout the country. Unlike the United States, across Asia and Europe, where tipping casino croupiers is expected etiquette, Australian dealers are not permitted to accept any kind of tip.
Why is casino tipping illegal in Australia
Australia’s very first brick and mortar casino opened in 1970 – the Wrest Point Hotel Casino in Hobart, Tasmania. A law was passed at that time that prevented all casino staff members from accepting money or any kinds of gifts from customers.
This law was adopted from British gambling legislation. Since the implementation of this regulation, all other states across the country have followed suit in not allowing any form of tipping to casino dealers inside a regulated land based gaming venue.
The chief reason for not allowing tipping inside Australian brick and mortar casinos is to avoid dealer-player collusion, cheating and fraud. If tipping were permitted, croupiers could take advantage of higher stakes patrons who are more generous with their tips.
For example, the croupier could make deliberate errors (such as paying out when it should be a loss, or over-paying winnings) to favour the high tipper, in the hope that patron will continue to reward the croupier with lavish tips.
No tipping also eliminates any kind of dealer favouritism – for example, if permitted, patrons may desire to tip blackjack, baccarat, poker or roulette dealers they found highly attractive and avoid tipping other croupiers.
Some Australian casino dealer tipping stories
Many Australian casino dealers report being offered large tip amounts while in charge of their respective games. While most dealers do not accept the quite often very charitable tips, we have heard stories where the money has simply been too good to refuse (tips of $50,000 and more). In such circumstance, croupiers have been said to have taken the tips and then walked away from their jobs as a dealer. What would you do if you were offered a tip of five digits or more?
Other stories are even more sly – dealers telling patrons that rather than tip them, which is unlawful, to instead hand over their tips to obliging co-workers working at bars, restaurants or retail shops within the entertainment complex, and then they will collect the cash later (possibly striking up a deal to reward their friend with part of the tip). This sneaky practice is technically not illegal, however we do not endorse this behaviour, as it may result in both workers losing their jobs if they were to be found out.
Tipping casino croupiers in the United States
In land based casinos across North America, it is expected of the patrons to tip their dealers (and waiters/waitresses). This is largely based on the fact that retail and customer service employees in the United States receive a much lower income when compared to Australian retail and customer service employees, and rely chiefly on tips for their main source of income.
Retail and customer service employees, including casino dealers, in the United States, can earn as little as $7 per hour, while dealers in Australia can make anywhere between $18 per hour to upwards of $35 per hour.
In North America, it is customary to tip after big wins or if you have been playing at a certain gaming table for a while. The amount you tip is entirely up to you, and you can work out what is a courteous value after having played a few rounds ($5 is often a good amount to tip).
Additionally, within the casino industry in the States, waiters and waitresses serve customers with free drinks and will favour patrons who are more generous with their tips.
In Asia and Europe, it is also considered appropriate to tip roulette and other casino dealer to show your appreciation of good service.
Live dealer gaming at online and mobile casino sites
Gambling on the Internet is becoming more and more popular every day, and all reputable Web based casino operators now offer live dealer games to their customers.
These are game run by professionally trained blackjack, baccarat, poker, sic bo, lottery and roulette dealers in regulated studio environments. Their games are live streamed to the players’ screens in high definition, and the players are able to bet interactively with real money while also communicating with the croupiers.
Tipping is generally not an option provided in this form of gambling, so you can stretch your bankroll that little bit extra. Some casino operators do offer a tip jar for their dealers, however there is absolutely no obligation to tip.
Live dealer casinos allow players to enjoy authentic gaming without the hassle of travelling to a brick and mortar casino and dealing with annoying and possible drunken patrons. Online gaming operators also provide lower house edges and more gaming and wagering options than their land based casino counterparts.