CAREER LADDERS: The Brains Behind the Bars

Kenny Wong and Namie Wong work behind iron bars, in a cage filled with money. All day and all night, the money flows in and out—but only when the Wongs say so. Kenny Wong and Namie Wong (unrelated) are shift managers at Wynn Macau’s cage department.

At the heart of every casino is a cage like the one where Kenny and Namie work. The cage is a combination customer service center, hi-tech bank and armored car. “We deal with billions of dollars in cash in and out of here on a daily basis,” says Kenny. “We handle chip exchanges and watch out for counterfeits. We also exchange nearly 20 currencies.”

From January to October this year, Macau’s gaming revenues totaled 152.1 billion Patacas. At some point, every Pataca moved through one casino cage or another. Keeping control of so much money is a challenging job.

The action inside a casino cage can be hectic. There is a lot to think about. Both Namie and Kenny agree that the most important quality required for their unusual profession is the ability to stay calm, even in tense situations.

After obtaining a degree in mathematics and statistics in the UK, Kenny returned to Macau and joined a casino as a cashier in 2004.  Two years later, he became one of Wynn Macau’s opening team members as a cage supervisor. He said he was attracted by the company’s thorough way of preparing employees for potential advancement. “Every new member is encouraged to learn every aspect of the operation before being considered for a promotion.” At Wynn Macau, Kenny has been promoted twice in less than two years.

After studying at the Macau Institute for Tourism Studies, Namie found work as a cage clerk. She joined Wynn Macau in 2006, starting as a senior cashier. “There are many opportunities to learn here,” she said. “And learning leads to promotions. At Wynn Macau, I’ve had the fastest promotions in my career.” After three promotions within four years, Namie is now a shift manager.

Local talent has been thriving recently at Wynn Macau. During the first half of 2010, nearly 60 local staff members received internal promotions. Local employees make up over 70 percent of the management staff in Wynn Macau’s cage department.

Does handling all that cash affect how cage workers think about money? “In my eyes,” says Kenny, “a hundred Patacas in my wallet is bigger than ten million in the cage because it’s my money whereas the ten million is only a tool for my work.” He says seeing huge amounts of money every day has not turned him into a big spender.

The gaming industry has been growing rapidly in recent years and the new casinos place great emphasis on service. This has created new career opportunities for high-level graduates joining the workforce. People trained by internationally renowned companies are especially sought after by new casinos.

In 2011, new mega resorts are scheduled to open in Macau. As the industry scrambles to secure talented employees, even more opportunities will be available for up-and-comers like Kenny and Namie.



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