Tourism, travel and entertainment

How to become a gambling manager

Official title: Gambling manager

Also called: Gaming manager, Casino manager, Casino duty manager, Bar and gaming manager, TAB manager, Betting manager, Lotteries manager

Gambling managers oversee gambling operations, security, staff and customer service in casinos.

Main tasks

Manage gambling activities, security and staff
Make sure safety rules are followed
Handle customer problems and complaints
Oversee finances and cash flows
Set prices and betting limits
Plan and organise staff timetables and shifts
Train and guide staff about rules
Keep records of staff and activities

How to become one

You need experience to become a gambling manager and a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 3 to do the study or training for this job. Required: experience in similar work; to get a Certificate of Approval from the Department of Internal Affairs; a Manager's Certificate; to be over 20 years old. Other requirements: a relevant tertiary qualification in food, tourism and hospitality, business and management or similar area; at least 3 months recent experience managing the sale, supply and consumption of alcohol on a licensed premises in New Zealand; a Licence Controller Qualification (LCQ).

See the full Tahatū profile

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Apprenticeship in cookery. TEC links this job to study in food tourism and hospitality. New Zealand apprenticeship (NZQA level 4). Qualifications: NZ Cert in Food and Beverage Service, NZ Cert in Catering Services, NZ Cert in Cookery. Usually 11 months to 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $65,000 a year one year after study and $68,000 five years after; 87% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).
Certificates and diplomas: Advanced certificates and diplomas in management and business studies. TEC links this job to study in business and management. Qualifications: NZ Dip in Business, Dip in Business Studies, Cert in Business Studies, Dip in Business, Dip in Commerce. Usually 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $52,000 a year one year after study and $61,000 five years after; 61% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).; Entry certificates in other food and hospitality. TEC links this job to study in food tourism and hospitality. Qualifications: Manāki Marae - Te Nihowera, Te Ringawera, Manāki Marae - Te Kauta, Te Wharekai. Usually 4 to 6 months. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $38,000 a year one year after study and $51,000 five years after; 31% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).

Pay · Past change

Most common pay: $70,000 to $120,000 a year (median $93,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
Lower: $55,000 a year · Upper: $149,000 a year
TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Increase (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.

Who does this work

About 100 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).

Questions people ask

How do I become a gambling manager?

How much does a gambling manager earn in New Zealand?

The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $93,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $70,000 to $120,000 a year.

Has the number of people working as a gambling manager grown in New Zealand?

It has grown: TEC records an increase in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.

Sources

Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.

Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.

This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.

These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Updated 4 October 2026