V.I. government officials on Wednesday promised that the third time will be the charm for the opening of the casino training school.
The school is scheduled to open Monday in the government-owned Frederiksted Mall after two other opening dates — Aug. 2 and Sept. 15 — came and went.
"It is definitely Monday," said Acting Commissioner of Tourism Michael Bornn at a press conference with Lieut. Gov. Gerard Luz James II. "We’re committed to opening the school…"
A six-person training crew headed by Vic Taucer, the owner of Nevada-based Casino Creations, will be paid $92,000 to train approximately 130 people in blackjack, craps, roulette and poker. Taucer’s contract ends on Dec. 3. The overall cost for the casino training school is $200,000, Bornn said.
Casino Creations produces casino instructional seminars, gaming curriculum and publishes instructional text books on gaming. Taucer, a professor of casino management for the university and community college system in Nevada, also consults with casinos on managerial training.
Training for local residents, who must make up 65 percent of a casino’s staff at the end of the first year of gaming, will start Monday even though the V.I. Casino Control Act mandates that it begin six months prior to the time the Casino Control Commission issues its first casino license. The territory’s first casino operator, Treasure Bay V.I. Corp., was licensed in December 1998.
Both James and Bornn confirmed that legislation has been submitted to the Senate to reduce the amount of training time mandated in the casino act to six weeks. The reduction, said Bornn, won’t compromise training.
"(Vic) Taucer has confirmed to me . . . that these trainees will be certified by Dec. 3," Bornn said.
Five games will be taught at the school, starting with two classes of 50 students each learning blackjack. At the same time, 30 students will be taught craps. On Nov. 7, students will focus training on roulette and two games of poker, Caribbean and Let-It-Ride.
Bornn said blackjack training will take 160 hours while craps will take 240 hours. Roulette and the poker training will be shorter.
"Craps is a lot more difficult," Bornn said. "Most (students) will have the skill of two different games."
Because some of the 130 people who registered for training more than a year ago may have changed their minds and the fact that some students won’t make it through the course, Bornn encouraged Virgin Islands residents interested in jobs to put their name on a waiting list. The cost is $25 and before being accepted in the program a screening exam will be held.
"We’re anticipating vacancies. We don’t know if it will be one slot or 100 slots," said Bornn, adding that the training will be difficult. "This isn’t an easy job. You need mathematical skills and service skills."
As for future training, James said that is an issue that will have to be addressed as the need arises. He said other casino applications and licensees are in the wings.
"As more casinos come to St. Croix, we’re going to have to prepare individuals," he said.
Bornn stated his preference that training be done by the casinos themselves or have a private sector business take over the burden.
