Vocational Index

Career

Gambling surveillance officers and gambling investigators

Watch the casino floor for cheating and theft.

$43,370
Median pay
-1.8%
Job growth, 2025–35
1,100
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school

Here's what you actually need to know.

The work

What people in this job do

  • Monitor establishment activities to ensure adherence to all state gaming regulations and company policies and procedures.
  • Observe casino or casino hotel operations for irregular activities, such as cheating or theft by employees or patrons, using audio and video equipment and one-way mirrors.
  • Report all violations and suspicious behaviors to supervisors, verbally or in writing.
  • Develop and maintain log of surveillance observations.
  • Inspect and monitor audio or video surveillance equipment to ensure it is working appropriately.

The outlook

How the forecast changed this year

2024–34 edition+0.3%2025–35 edition-1.8%
Projected 10-year growth in last year's and this year's BLS projections. 1,300 → 1,100 openings a year.

The deeper question

What kind of person does this path ask you to become?

What this work centers on

Information & systems
5.6
Persuasion & leadership
4.8
Objects & tools
4.1
Ideas & analysis
2.2
People & care
2.1
Creation & expression
1.0

O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.

The work

Do you want most of your days spent on information & systems, then persuasion & leadership?

Responsibility

Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?

“Monitor establishment activities to ensure adherence to all state gaming regulations and company policies and procedures.”

Development

What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?

Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Judgment and Decision Making.

Trade-offs

What does it ask of you in exchange?

No degree beyond high school, though moderate-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $43,370 a year and 1,100 openings nationally each year.

Paths in

Degrees that lead here

  • Criminal JusticeSee the degree →
  • Casino Operations and Services, GeneralCIP 12.0601
  • Security and Loss Prevention ServicesCIP 43.0109

Paths across

Careers that use similar skills

Ask anything about this career.

“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.

Not sure this fits who you are? Start with Vocational Finder →

Sources

  1. BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  2. BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  3. O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
  4. CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.