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More info
- Requires maths and negotiation skills, and the ability to manage and lead staff
- With experience, you could manage several shops in a region, or set up your own business
- This role may require travel to sporting events around the country
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Recruiting, training and supervising staff
- Greeting customers and promoting products to them
- Taking bets and paying out winnings
- Dealing with complaints
- Setting sales targets
- Controlling costs and balancing accounts
- Organising staff rotas
- As a manager, you'll look after the security of staff, customers and money
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
Bookmakers usually work in an office or at a race track. Your working environment may be outdoors and in all weathers.
If you work at a racecourse, you may work at sporting events around the country.
You'll need
There are no set entry requirements, but you must be 18 and you may have to take a maths test. You could do a Level 2 Diploma in Gambling Operations, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you'll need for this job but this isn't essential.
You could join a bookmaking firm and start on a customer service practitioner intermediate apprenticeship. This is followed by further training which can lead to betting shop manager positions.
Alternatively, you could start as a cashier and work your way up, or you could start as a trainee manager.
You can also apply directly to bookmakers for a trainee manager post. To do this, you'll usually need GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English and maths. Employers will also expect you to have some experience of customer service, supervising staff and handling money.
You may also be able to apply for a betting company's graduate training scheme to start your career in bookmaking and betting shop management.
When you apply for a job as a bookmaker, you may be asked to sit a basic maths test to show that you can deal with percentages and calculating odds and payments. These tasks are often carried out by electronic tills, but it's important that you're able to explain them to customers.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience, you could manage several shops in a region, or set up your own business.