Next to anchoring SportsCenter, it's a fan's dream job: Watch sports all day and help people make money off the games and races.
That helps explain why it's tough to break in as a sports book ticket writer - there isn't much turnover, and people love the work.
"People don't leave," said Nikkie Commisso, sports book manager at the Gold Coast.
"I have people every day come up and ask 'Are you hiring? Are you hiring?'"
The most likely time to get a "yes" to that question is when football season is gearing up. Football generates more betting action than any other sport, and most sportsbooks hire extra help to handle the high traffic.
For newcomers to the business, this is the best time to break in. But it doesn't guarantee a permanent position once the Super Bowl is over. Most extras are released once the season winds down.
"They hate to go, and we hate to see them go because some of them are really good," Commisso said.
The basic requirements to be a ticket writer are quite minimal - it's good to have experience with computers, money handling and customer service. Believe it or not, sports knowledge is a plus, but it's not necessarily a must - the methods for betting on different sports can be learned. (When Commisso started 12 years ago, she said she had little to no understanding of sports betting.)
The true hallmarks of a good sportsbook employee are the intangibles, like the ability to do accurate work in a fast-paced environment, an outgoing personality, and patience with novice bettors - and nasty ones.
"It's about 50-50 nice and not nice. Usually when you get your first not-nice customer, it's like 'Oh my God'," Commisso said.
Liz Lucas, manager of the Gold Coast's separate racebook, said it's important to be friendly and smile, especially when a difficult customer comes along.
"They must be willing to deal with ... inexperienced gamblers," Lucas said.
Efficiency and accuracy are paramount, Lucas said. "It's a fast pace at post time."
Adding to the pressure are the bettors who want a lot of advice on how to wager, especially during major events such as the Super Bowl and March Madness, which bring in a lot of first-timers. Commisso said ticket writers are allowed a lot of leeway in advising customers on rules and strategies, but they walk a fine line when it comes to counseling their picks.
"I tell my employees, watch your opinions," she said. "The last thing you want to do is give your opinion (on who to bet on) and they lose."
At the same time, sportsbook workers have to take care not to put down a bettor's picks, she said.
Ticket writers usually come to love the high energy of the sportsbook, but in the beginning it can be unsettling, Commisso said. "We get people sitting there screaming at the TV. I think it's funny now," she said, although it took some getting used to.
But Commisso and Lucas agree that it's a fun and exciting job for those lucky enough to find an opening.
"Where else could you get paid for watching football all day, doing something you love?" Commisso said.
Fun Fact It's not unusual for a novice ticket-writer to get a bit rattled the first time they accept a very large bet, Commisso said, and there's nothing wrong with asking a more experienced co-worker to backstop you. "It's like, 'Can someone watch me count the money here?'" she said.
