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Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners: Job Description

Post information enabling patrons to wager on various races and sporting events. Assist in the operation of games such as keno and bingo. May operate random number-generating equipment and announce the numbers for patrons. Receive, verify, and record patrons' wagers. Scan and process winning tickets presented by patrons and pay out winnings for those wagers.

The Daily Work of Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners Take On?

The core tasks performed by gambling and sports book writers and runners include:

• Collect bets in the form of cash or chips, verifying and recording amounts.
• Collect cards or tickets from players.
• Compute and verify amounts won or lost, paying out winnings or referring patrons to workers, such as gaming cashiers, so that winnings can be collected.
• Answer questions about game rules or casino policies.

Skills and Knowledge

Top gambling and sports book writers and runners rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Top Skills

The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Other Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners Job Titles

Common job titles for this role include:

• Bet Taker
• Betting Clerk
• Bingo Caller
• Bingo Clerk
• Bingo Floater
• Bingo Worker
• Bookie
• Bookmaker

Job Outlook

There are about 313,328 gambling and sports book writers and runners working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -4.3% over the projection horizon.

Salary for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners

Statistic	Value
Annual median	$52,257
Hourly median	$25.12
10th percentile	$33,442
25th percentile	$42,850
75th percentile	$61,665
90th percentile	$71,073

Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.

Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners Salary by State

State	Annual median salary
New York	$53,120
Massachusetts	$45,690
Wisconsin	$44,820
Washington	$39,970
New Jersey	$39,800
Michigan	$36,310
Kentucky	$36,210
Iowa	$35,940
Indiana	$35,540
California	$35,440
Minnesota	$34,440
Maryland	$33,610
Illinois	$33,560
Colorado	$32,880
Connecticut	$32,640
South Carolina	$32,050
North Carolina	$31,760
Nevada	$30,490
West Virginia	$29,740
South Dakota	$29,170
Oklahoma	$29,080
Texas	$28,670
Ohio	$28,060
Pennsylvania	$27,810
Mississippi	$27,530
North Dakota	$26,180
Florida	$25,940
Nebraska	$25,580
Louisiana	$25,210
Montana	$22,220
Puerto Rico	$22,050

Pay by U.S. Region

Compensation for gambling and sports book writers and runners differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:

Region	Median annual wage	Share of U.S. jobs	Location quotient
Middle Atlantic	$42,272	4.8%	0.37
Great Lakes	$34,689	6.8%	0.42
Far Western US	$33,255	32.0%	8.00
New England	$32,640	0.7%	0.44
Plains States	$30,946	17.5%	3.84
Southwest	$28,821	18.9%	2.45
Southeast	$27,892	18.6%	2.13
Other U.S. Territories	$22,050	0.7%	0.88

Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners

Metro area	State	Median annual wage	Employment
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	NY	$53,120	160
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	MA	$46,780
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	WA	$40,340	90
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	CA	$36,400	100
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN	KY	$36,140	50
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	MN	$36,030	110
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	CA	$35,420	150
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	IL	$34,610	70

Which Industries Hire Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners

The largest employers of gambling and sports book writers and runners work in these industries:

Industry	Employment	Median annual wage
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	5,360	$29,080
Accommodation and Food Services	1,400	$33,280
Other Services (except Public Administration)	660	$30,510

Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners work in the following industries:

Software Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners Use

• Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
• Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
• Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
• Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
• Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)

The Day-to-Day Environment

The on-the-job environment of gambling and sports book writers and runners is shaped by the following characteristics:

• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
• Contact With Others
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
• Physical Proximity
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate

How to Become Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners

Typical gambling and sports book writers and runners positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.

Related Careers

Similar Occupations

• Gambling Managers (Primary-Short)
• Athletes and Sports Competitors (Supplemental)
• Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials (Primary-Long)
• Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop (Primary-Long)
• First-Line Supervisors of Gambling Services Workers (Primary-Short)
• Gambling Dealers (Primary-Short)
• Amusement and Recreation Attendants (Primary-Long)
• Cashiers (Primary-Long)

Sources

Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
• BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
• O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 39-3012.00 (Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners).