NEW YORK CITY — A new school is betting on New York’s burgeoning casino industry.
The Big Deal Casino Academy, slated to open on Jan. 5 in Flatiron, aims to be New York’s first licensed casino school, said founder Wendy Rubin.
The idea, said Rubin, a self-described entrepreneur, is to train students to become dealers in a variety of casino games including craps, poker, roulette and blackjack.
But it'll also be a place where New Yorkers can casually learn how to play each of the games, with classes for levels from beginner to advanced and tips on how to "beat the odds," Rubin said.
Rubin also plans to rent out the casino-like space, with its eight blackjack tables and other games areas, for parties and events. And she'll offer a course aimed at Wall Streeters that focuses on game theory, something she says is useful in trading.
No gambling for money will actually take place as that’s still illegal in the city.
Rubin, a longtime New Yorker and a poker player by hobby, said she’s been slowly trying to establish the school since 2010.
She was inspired by New York State's expansion of gambling, including three Las Vegas-style casino resorts recently approved to open upstate.
"There's been a long push to expand gambling in New York, but I've been thinking about this for years," Rubin said. "Mostly, I was dying for somewhere closer than New Jersey to play poker."
The academy is still waiting on its official trade school licensing from the Department of Education, which Rubin hopes to get by Jan. 5.
Rubin said many casinos don’t require a certificate from a school to deal, but it’ll give you a leg up in the hiring process if you come fully trained.
Proponents of the state's new casinos estimate that they'll create at least 4,000 new jobs — but, of course, you'd have to move upstate, specifically Albany, the Catskills or Central New York, to get those gigs.
Dealers make an average of $20 to $40 an hour, and Rubin's three-month training courses will cost several hundred dollars. She didn't have exact pricing available yet for the certificate program or the classes.
"I'm not a professional poker player, but this just seemed like a good idea," Rubin said. "Gambling is expanding in New York, and we'll see what happens in the future."
