How much in tips can a teller reasonably make?

[tbwinner]

I always thought it'd be interesting to have a job at a track. I already have a FT career but Prairie Meadows is hiring for seasonal pari-mutuel tellers as well as other racing seasonal positions.

Pay is advertised for teller at 16.50/hour + tips.

I don't use tellers unless cashing a voucher at the rare occasion I'm on track, they get the change from me usually or a $10 spot if its an exceptional day.

Most of the PRM racegoers that use the teller line(at least outdoors) are $2 bettors.

Probably shouldn't expect much, right? Is it even worth the frustration of having to explain why show wagering in a five horse field isn't available 10 times a race?

[CheckMark]

I usually let them keep the cents in all payouts having x dollars and _ cents

But if I do win a big ticket (the biggest I have hit was a $100-$120 Trifecta ticket at Fort Erie) I would definitely tip them like $20-$25

Tellers are lucky enough to even get tipped because lots of players are wanting their cash in a hurry and don't have time to even think about tipping

If everyone was kind-hearted to tip all the time they might be making a lot more on tips vs their wages

[tbwinner]

Originally Posted by CheckMark

Tellers are lucky enough to even get tipped because lots of players are wanting their cash in a hurry and don't have time to even think about tipping

If everyone was kind-hearted to tip all the time they might be making a lot more on tips vs their wages

Agree. I'd rarely see people tip other than change during a period a decade ago that saw me have a lot of on track days

I figure it would come out to $3 or $4 an hour unless someone hit some monster superfecta playing their numbers...bound to happen! Just hope it happens to my window

[P.Rosa]

It depends on the tellers disposition.
Some of the tellers that I know make more in tips than they do in salary,
others don't do very well.

[Robert Fischer]

Originally Posted by CheckMark

I usually let them keep the cents in all payouts having x dollars and _ cents

mostly use the machine other than cashing out

i'll pass the 'silver'(the cents) back to the teller, except for the teller who calls the hundreds 'the gold' and the 20s/singles 'the silver'... that guy, I just pass the cents back to.

if I'm having a great day or actively using the services of the teller to accomplish something, i pass the singles back during each exchange, as well

[lamboguy]

i spent 2 years at the track every single day. i had my own private room and my own private teller. i gave her $200 a day for a tip, win or lose. we worked noon to midnight 7 days a week. the gal that i had was the very best teller in the place and she was worth 5 times more than i gave her.

[the little guy]

Originally Posted by lamboguy

i spent 2 years at the track every single day. i had my own private room and my own private teller. i gave her $200 a day for a tip, win or lose. we worked noon to midnight 7 days a week. the gal that i had was the very best teller in the place and she was worth 5 times more than i gave her.

I'm assuming this was when you were making those million dollar show bets. How quickly could she count the cash on those bets?

[metro]

A couple of good experiences from both sides of the window:

Was having a good weekend at Keeneland simulcast in the mid 90's and cashed an IRS ticket with the same lady I always went to. Tipped her $20 and a $5 win ticket on a FTS that a trainer friend of mine really liked and had running later that day at Churchill. The horse won at something like 35-1 iirc, she thanked me every time I went back to her over the years since.

A few years later I was working a mutuel window in the Keeneland clubhouse and a guy who owned some coal mines in Eastern Kentucky was a guest in the section I was in. Needless to say the guy had money to burn but was a pretty sharp handicapper/bettor too. It was nothing for him to bet $5K a race. He was using all the tellers in our station of four and one race, amongst his other bets, bought straight $200 exacta tickets for everyone at his table at my window. His exacta hit and paid something like $85 or $8500 each to him and his seven guests. He tipped me $500 and since the other tellers in my station had waited on him as well I shared the good fortune and gave them $100 each.

As far as how much one could make in tips as a teller it's hard to say. Obviously the bigger race days, Oaks, Derby, other TC and BC days, etc.. bring out bigger crowds, more money going through the windows and more opportunities for tips. Just be a good at what you do, learn and know how to punch the more elaborate tickets (wheels, part wheels, keys, etc) and the more serious players will gravitate to you increasing the likelihood of a nice tip.

[castaway01]

Originally Posted by the little guy

I'm assuming this was when you were making those million dollar show bets. How quickly could she count the cash on those bets?

I hear ya, I feel ya, but it's not even worth it....it's like laughing at the old guy at the park when he tells you how he could have played in the NBA if it wasn't for that bum knee. You just smile and nod.

As far as tellers, back in the day when I did most of my wagering at the track, I actually did tip on "signers" (old rules) and such. Figured it was good karma. Based on the look on their faces when I tipped anything, I don't think the Parx tellers were "making a good living on tips".

[westernmassbob]

I don’t see horse tellers making a killing in tips but I do have a friend who is a teller at a local sports book. He has made $100-$500 a day in tips from people cashing in sports tickets. The thing is there is only one machine set up to cash out so whomever is working it reaps all the rewards (tips). It is a golden job for now in that he is averaging 30+ an hour. The only days I’ve seen horse tellers making big tips is on the triple crown racing days especially the Kentucky Derby.

[classhandicapper]

I don't know how it is at any of the tracks, but in NYC OTBs it depended on the branch, whether you were an attractive flirtatious woman or a guy, and whether you were fast, accurate, and nice to the customers.

Clerks and per diems would compete to try to get days at certain branches where the tipping was excellent and to avoid some where it was a guaranteed zero.

I would ask around.

[cj]

I'm not big on tipping in gambling games where the odds are already stacked against you. I'll tip at a racetrack if I hit a nice score, but I'm talking at least 4 figures for that.

Casino, forget it. They are rolling in money. The casinos have the ability to pay a good wage.

[GMB@BP]

I worked for Turf Paradise as a teller for 1 year when i got into the sport, 1992. I can tell you some days, and i worked at the second busiest OTB ins the state, I would get nothing, some days I would get decent, some days were good.

What I found is that if you had a fairly large better who got hot you could get some decent money. I had this french guy catch fire before christmas and he was making a lot of money, he would throw $20 or $50 to me when he won big.

The OTB manager made sure she was the only one who would process IRS cashes so she could get the tips as usually thats where they would come from.

Had another chinese guy do the same, was a trifecta player.

Either way I expected nothing and was happy to get anything.

[Dan Montilion]

Worked as a weekend mutuel clerk in Northern California early 80's. Was on the turf club line at Golden Gate fields working next to a very attractive, nicely shaped young lady. When cashing she would flirt, lean in a bit with her not really appropriately dressed. At the end of the day, while balancing she turned to me and said "$400 for flirting and flashing the goods". I had a pretty good day myself caught a couple nice priced winners. So I pulled out two one hundred dollar bills and asked what I could get for this. Mind you we had been joking through the day. Turns out she was dating a mucky muck in GGF management. Next week I was main line next to the bathrooms that never really drained well in those golden days at GGF.

[tbwinner]

Originally Posted by cj

I'm not big on tipping in gambling games where the odds are already stacked against you. I'll tip at a racetrack if I hit a nice score, but I'm talking at least 4 figures for that.

Casino, forget it. They are rolling in money. The casinos have the ability to pay a good wage.

I don't tip the tellers/cashier, but do put out a bet for the dealers a few times an hour if I am doing well and they are pleasant to be at a table with.