In 1978, CCI became the first gaming school in the nation affiliated with a fully accredited community college and was licensed by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission (NJCCC). It continues to be the industry’s leading trainer.

Dean of Continuing Education & Resource Development Patricia A. Owens says: “Most of our students come to us as referrals from our graduates. The chances are that if you speak with casino executives in this city, they are CCI graduates. Our graduates are recognized and employed around the world.”

The international casino industry is no longer limited to just Atlantic City or Las Vegas. Gaming also reaches beyond land-based casinos to include party boats, cruise lines and riverboat gambling.

CCI has grown with the industry, adapting its curriculum to meet the increasing need for qualified dealers, security and surveillance officers and slot technicians. Because of its considerable expertise in gaming training, CCI staff often provides consulting services and customized training programs to government agencies, enforcement organizations, employers and training providers in Atlantic City and other parts of the world.

ABOUT CCI

Located at the Charles D. Worthington Atlantic City Center in downtown Atlantic City, CCI is just minutes from the casinos, giving students a first-hand view of the industry that they can join. The CCI facility includes a large mock casino with regulation equipment, slot technician labs, student cafeteria and free on-site parking.

Because of its affiliation with ACCC, CCI benefits from the college’s extensive offerings and services. CCI has the resources to help students every step of the way while attending class, whether it is licensing, language skills, math skills and job placement, or interim employment. CCI graduates often return to practice at the facility in order to brush up on those skills they learned in the classroom.

All graduates must be licensed by the NJCCC in order to obtain local casino employment, but graduation from CCI does not assure licensing. Casino employees must be 18 years of age, and CCI students must reach their18th birthday by the date their class graduates.

COURSE OFFERINGS

CCI’s open enrollment courses fall into three categories: dealer, security and surveillance and slot technician training.

Requirements for Dealers: Upon completing the Introduction to Casino Games, a 40-hour dealer skills course, students begin their training in one of the primary games of Blackjack, Craps or Poker. Subsequent game training could include another primary game or Baccarat, Roulette, Pai Gow Tiles, Pai Gow Poker or Carnival Games, consisting of Caribbean Stud/Let It Ride/Three Card Poker/Four Card Poker/Texas Hold’em.

Students registering for dealer training are expected to satisfactorily complete a minimum of two games to secure employment at many area casinos. Several casinos currently require successful completion and certification in a minimum of three games. Classes are offered on a monthly basis.

Security and Surveillance: This program is designed to acquaint students in many of the aspects of table and slots gaming that lend themselves to cheating and illegal procedures. An introduction to Casino Control Commission regulations, game irregularities, game protection and recognizing potential and alleged cheats are the focus of the intensive training program. Anyone interested in applying for a surveillance position at one of Atlantic City’s casinos, or incumbent employees interested in pursuing career advancement, are encouraged to apply.

Slot Technician Training: The emerging growth of the slot industry has created a great demand for trained slot technicians. In CCI’s slot lab, experienced instructors use hands-on training to teach students slot machine repair and computer operations on the latest equipment. Students must also serve an internship to gain practical experience.

Due to the ever-changing technology in slot operations, the curriculum is constantly revised. Based on seat availability at any time, CCI table game course graduates may audit that same game, from which they received their certificates, for a discount of 50 percent off the published fee.

All potential slot technician students must successfully pass an admissions test before being accepted into the program. Students are responsible for contacting CCI to schedule a testing appointment prior to the start of classes.

The Police Officers Gaming Seminar (P.O.G.S.) is an intensive exposure to all forms of casino gaming presently approved by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission.

The course was originally designed for New Jersey State Troopers who were assigned to the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE). It has now been expanded to provide invaluable information for gaming examiners, legislators, police officers and those whose duties will involve oversight, inspection or investigation of gaming activities across the country.

Jurisdictions participating in P.O.G.S. courses include the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, New Jersey Casino Control Commission, Oneida Tribal Gaming Commission, Jamaica Lottery and Betting Commission, New York State Police, Ontario Provincial Police and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

CONSULTING AND CUSTOMIZED TRAINING SERVICES

CCI provides specialized seminars and training sessions for government agencies, casino operations managers, employers and training providers. A tailored approach is used to provide the best curriculum, state-of-the-art knowledge and expert instructors to meet specific needs.

CCI’s professionals have delivered customized training, contract training, short-term workshops, and long-term training programs. They offer their multitude of clients topics such as Service Leadership for Gaming Professionals, Team Building, Communicating Across the Organization, Controlling Casino Operations, Slot Operations and Loss Prevention.

Led by ACCC and CCI, the Borgata, Harrah’s Entertainment properties, Trump Entertainment casinos and the Tropicana Casino Hotel, all in Atlantic City, have received hundreds of thousands of dollars in training funds as a result of training grants from the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development.

All facets of gaming training have been adapted to the gaming industry across the country, including San Felipe Casino Hollywood in New Mexico, Grand Casino Hinckley in Minnesota, Charlestown Raceway in West Virginia, Sheridan Technical Center in Hollywood, Florida and Delaware State Park in Delaware.

Internationally, CCI has aligned itself with foreign gaming instruction programs. As the gaming laws in the UK were soon to be expanded and overhauled a few years ago, Blackpool and Fylde College (B&F) in Blackpool sought help to develop a quality casino training curriculum.

After analyzing numerous programs and courses, B & F selected CCI to serve as a model for the school’s new casino training program. Administrators visited the US to learn from the CCI educators.

B & F launched its first gaming course in May 2004. The alliance has proven beneficial for both institutions. CCI staff views its official relationship with B & F as a collegial association that offers mutual advice and support.

CCI has also forged a partnership with the Macau Polytechnic Institute’s Casino Career Centre to provide intensive training to potential or existing instructors for table games and slot technical repair. The Centre’s senior instructors participate in “Train the Trainer” classes at CCI in Atlantic City for a period from four weeks to three months. Additionally, CCI prepares joint certificates for gaming students of Macau’s Casino Career Centre.

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