SPRINGFIELD -- Poker, craps, roulette, blackjack, all of these table games will be part of the shuffle as MGM Springfield nears its fall grand opening.
The casino is looking to staff the tables with trained dealers which is why the new Massachusetts Casino Career Training Institute Gaming School is about to open in downtown Springfield.
The school is looking to hire around 450 new dealers, according to Robert Westerfield, the vice president of table games at MGM Springfield.
"Its been a labor of love to get this up and running," Westerfield said from the new ninth floor gaming school at MGM's State Street offices.
When asked what makes a good dealer, Westerfield, who began his career as a dealer in Atlantic City said, "the first thing we look for is personality," he added, "we want you to be engaging and friendly."
Michael Mathis, MGM Springfield's president said "we want to hire locally so it's very important that they see and feel what it is like to be on the job and the excitement that comes with it." Mathis added, "we are a border town to Connecticut and we've gotten a lot of interest from the Hartford, West Hartford and north of there and we extend an invitation to those folks as well."
The gaming school is set to open for training on February 26th, announcing any dealer who successfully complete courses and obtains a job with MGM Springfield is eligible for tuition reimbursement.
The grand opening of MGM hasn't been announced but it is expected to happen in September or October.