A team from Singapore casino resort Marina Bay Sands took the top prize in the first All Asia Dealers’ Championship held at Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia in Macau.
Staff from the Las Vegas Sands Corp property in the Lion City beat 15 other teams to win the All Asia team award after three days of competition that ended on Thursday.
Judged in dealing skills for baccarat, blackjack and roulette, the three-person team scored high marks in all areas. They included technical skills, guest interaction and personal presentation. The team’s prize is a trip to Australia.
The Marina Bay Sands team also took the best blackjack dealer and best roulette dealer awards, while Resorts World Manila, operated by Travellers International Hotel Group Inc, won the award for best baccarat dealer.
The best dealer team in Macau prize went to Sands China Ltd, which won four awards overall. Macau-based casino operators Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd, MGM China Holdings Ltd, SJM Holdings Ltd and Wynn Macau Ltd also had teams participating in the championship.
Other regional casinos that took part in the competition included: NagaWorld, operated by NagaCorp Ltd in Phnom Penh, Cambodia; City of Dreams Manila, operated by Melco Crown (Philippines) Corp; and Solaire Resort and Hotel, operated by Bloomberry Resorts Corp, in the Philippines.
The competition, co-organised by Asia Gaming Brief – an intelligence service providing market information for casino industry executives – and G2E Asia, was described as a chance for frontline staff at some of Asia’s major casinos to meet and learn from each other while working under conditions designed to simulate the normal working environment.
“The competition was important to boost the morale of perhaps the most important people in the industry – the dealers – who interact with customers every day,” said Rosalind Wade, managing director of Asia Gaming Brief. “It was an opportunity to showcase their skills, meet their counterparts from around Asia and get the appreciation they deserve.”
She added in comments to GGRAsia: “With things becoming more competitive not just in Macau but across Asia, it helps to show dealers they can be proud of their work and that career progression is available to them.”
Each team comprised three dealers and one of their supervisors or gaming floor managers. Each supervisor or manager was then assigned to unrelated team members in order to judge their skills.
List of top awards
Best Team All Asia: Marina Bay Sands
Best Team Macau: Sands China
Best All Asia Baccarat Dealer: Louie Albert Ramirez – Resorts World Manila
Best Macau Baccarat Dealer: May Chan – Wynn Macau
Best All Asia Roulette Dealer: Ria Krisiska Binte Herman – Marina Bay Sands
Best Macau Roulette Dealer: Jimmy Lim – MGM China
Best All Asia Blackjack Dealer: Chow Yoke Hui – Marina Bay Sands
Best Macau Blackjack Dealer: Wang Zhen Han – Sands China
