Interview with the New Director of Sports Book Operations Justin Arnett

The Oneida Indian Nation’s new sports book venues, The Lounge with Caesars Sports, will be opening this summer at each of its three gaming properties – Turning Stone Resort Casino, Point Place Casino and YBR Casino & Sports Book.    

On July 9th and 10th, Point Place Casino and YBR Casino & Sports Book will hold a hiring event to help fill more than 60 positions on our new sports book team. Positions to support the sports book operations across all three casinos include sports book managers and supervisors, ticket writers, bartenders, beverage servers, cooks, line cooks and food runners.  Interested candidates can apply here.

We spoke with the Nation’s new Director of Sports Book Operations Justin Arnett about this exciting and unique opportunity to join our team.

These sports books are bringing a host of new opportunities to Upstate New York. Can you tell us more about The Lounge with Caesars Sports and the types of jobs that are available?

I’m very excited to help kick off this new endeavor. I’ve managed sports books for some of the best venues in the world, and the sports books here will be of the highest caliber. They’ll be state-of-the-art, high-energy facilities, with excellent bars, menus and seating. The VIP experience will be like no other.

We’re already starting to put a great team together. We’re hiring across the board: managerial and supervisory roles as well as numerous full- and part-time jobs, including bartenders, beverage servers, cooks, line cooks, food runners and ticket writers.

What exactly is a ticket writer?

A ticket writer prints and sells tickets to the guests, ensuring that all bets are placed before a game begins. I started as a ticket writer, in fact. It’s a great entry in the gaming field, and there’s no better way to learn than being “in the action.” You’re interacting with the guests and instructing them on the betting rules; you’re performing monetary transactions, from making change to paying out wins.

What qualities are you looking for in a successful candidate?

Sports books are fun, high-energy places. So it’s a great job for someone who really enjoys meeting and talking to people. We’re looking for people who have mathematical ability and experience overseeing monetary transactions. They should be detail oriented, as accuracy in the transactions is key. Having a good sense of humor, being adaptable and able to accommodate people from all walks of life help a lot too.

You don’t need a deep knowledge or love of sports to work in a sports book. It may help to make the job more personally exciting, but it’s not a requirement. What’s important are the qualities you bring to the job: that you’re quick and accurate, and that you genuinely enjoy interacting with guests in a fast-paced environment.

But most of all, we are looking for people with a deep commitment to world-class guest service. Oneida Nation Enterprises is defined by its renowned facilities and incredible team. Our properties have been repeatedly awarded four-star ratings, and we’ve been named best overall gaming resort in New York. Our golf courses, spas, restaurants and other businesses have been similarly recognized for their quality, and The Lounge with Caesar Sports will follow in that tradition.

How did your career lead you to this new position with Oneida Indian Nation?

I’ve worked in the industry for years in Las Vegas. Most recently, I managed daily operations of the race and sports books at The Venetian, The Palazzo and inside Lagasse’s Stadium. I also previously worked on the sports book teams at the Hard Rock Casino Hotel and Casino Las Vegas, the M Resort, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino.

The Oneida Indian Nation’s casinos are among the best gaming destinations in the country, in terms of quality and experience, and the sports books are the first of their kind in New York. I’ve been offered the chance to help bring the exciting world of sports betting to a whole new region of the country – and that was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.