Casino school opens in Dieppe

[SIZE="3"]Moncton is already starting to see economic spinoffs from a new casino, scheduled to open next year, with a new casino school opening in neighbouring Dieppe.

Robby Robertson's Winning Touch Casino School is located on the second floor of a strip mall, in a small room filled with tables and a roulette wheel.

"They're going to learn to be a casino dealer. All of the games are different. Blackjack is [an] $800 [course]. That's where they have to start," said Robertson, who is not the legendary musician but a veteran casino dealer.

Other courses will include Texas hold 'em poker and roulette, with prices ranging between $400 and $900.

It could take students a while to learn the finer points of high rolling, said Robertson, 66, who left his farm home in Ontario in 1963 to go on a one-week vacation in Las Vegas and ended up staying for 32 years.

"The No. 1 skill to be a casino dealer is people skills," he stressed.

When the chips are down, personality pays off, said Robertson, who has a tiny grey ponytail and gold rings on his fingers. He said dealers can earn as much as $45,000 a year with tips.

The $90-million casino is already accepting resumés and will start hiring locally as early as next month.

It will have 28 tables, which will mean about 200 jobs for dealers, said Robertson, who operated a similar casino school in Niagara Falls for 12 years and whose wife is a casino dealer.

He operates independently of the casino and success at Winning Touch doesn't guarantee anyone a job. But starting Monday, Robertson is ready to teach anyone who's willing to try their luck.

The hotel, casino and convention centre complex will be located in the Magnetic Hill area, just off of the Trans-Canada Highway near Mountain Road.

The facility, which will be constructed by Sonco Gaming New Brunswick Ltd., will include 600 slot machines, 20 table games and eight poker tables.[/SIZE]
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[SIZE="3"]Robby Robertson's Winning Touch Casino School in Dieppe is ready to accept students.[/SIZE]