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Chapter 10: Central Cashiering
- University of Nevada Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
Central cashiering could be described as the nerve center of the casino cash flows and the operational center of the casino itself. Having the cashier as the central point of the operation also creates an atmosphere of control over the casino operation. If the controls over the cage cashier are strong, then the controls over the entire casino operations are typically strong. The cashier’s cage and its related back-room storage and working areas are known collectively as the vault, main bank, and the cage. The cashier’s cage is a common point of reference in the casino and is usually located in a central and prominent location. The primary operational responsibilities in this area include central cashiering, vault (main bank) operations, and the integration of the count procedures and revenue reporting. In its simplest sense, the front of the cashier area is called the cashier’s window, the back of the cashier area is called the vault, and the long-term area behind the vault may be called the main bank. d istinctions: the cashier, the vault, and the cage The cashiering function usually refers to the activity of the cashier, while the physical location where the cashiering takes place is the cashier’s cage. There may be one or more cashier stations located throughout the casino. There may also be specific functional cashiers for processing table fills and credits, for receiving employee bank turn-in funds, for redeeming slot machine tickets, and for the traditional public cashiering functions. The vault or main bank, on the other hand, is a physical location usually separate from the cashiering cage. It is a highly restricted area where the c h a p t e r 1 0 Central Cashiering 272 Accounting public is never allowed and only specified casino employees are allowed to enter. In a small casino, there may be a single combination cashier’s cage with attached vault. In larger casinos there may be many cashiers and more than one vault, each with its own separate function. Examples include a coin vault for coin storage, chip vault, accounting area within the vault for the hard and/or soft count, a working vault area, and a long-term storage or backup vault area. Figure 10-1 illustrates a typical central cashiering operational layout. Increasingly, there may be slot booths or slot ticket redemption kiosks located throughout the casino which can also function as subsidiary cashiers. These booths and machines can have monies that should be controlled and accounted for in the same manner as in a regular cashier and vault. cashier organization structure The staffing and organization of the central cashier depends on two quite different sets of skills and personnel. First, the public cashiers, who have a high degree of public interaction, must not only be skilled as cashiers, with an orientation to maintaining overall control of their funds, but must also be pleasant in dealing with the public. It is sometimes difficult to find persons with skills in both these areas. Fig. 10-1. Casino Central Cashier Layout [3.143.168.172] Project MUSE (2024-04-17 22:58 GMT) Central Cashiering 273 There is usually a second position—the vault cashier—where the skill set is more oriented to detailed accounting and procedural controls, with somewhat less responsibility for public interaction. Interaction with other casino personnel is still a vital part of the vault cashier’s responsibilities, however. The cashiering staff is usually part of the general accounting function in the overall casino organization structure. This assures that the control created by the separation of duties into two separate departments remains strong. physical layout For persons new to the casino, or to customers who have only a public exposure to the casino operation, the cashiering function appears to be restricted to operations similar to a bank teller or cashier. In reality, however, the role of central cashiering is much greater. This complex role is clarified by a good understanding of the physical layout of the central cashiering facility. In most circumstances, the public service functions of the cashiering department are located in those areas of the casino where the public can be most easily and readily accommodated. Thus, functions such as check cashing, credit advances, and purchase or redemption of casino chips can be accomplished in one or more highly convenient locations. These locations help provide customer service and encourage the patron to begin play as quickly and easily as possible...