Casino Industry Fundamentals

Explore the casino industry from an accounting and operational perspective, beginning with industry structure, revenue models, organization, and gaming mathematics. Examine slot machines, table games, sportsbooks, online gaming, poker, cage operations, customer credit, and player loyalty programs. Connect these activities to internal controls, performance measurement, cash management, and regulatory requirements. Finish by examining gaming regulation, licensing, and tribal gaming, giving you a practical foundation for understanding how casino businesses operate and generate profits effectively.
Format

PDF Course

Course Lists
Grid View
Tile View
Duration

30 Hours

Course Discounts
Education Bundles

Course Information

Author: Steven Bragg
NASBA Category: Specialized Knowledge
Course Number: SK0010
Not Acceptable For: Enrolled Agents

Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction to the Gaming Industry
Chapter 2. Gaming Industry Structure
Chapter 3. Casino Operations and Organization
Chapter 4. Casino Games and Gaming Mathematics
Chapter 5. Slot Machine Operations
Chapter 6. Table Game Operations
Chapter 7. Sports Betting Operations
Chapter 8. Online and Mobile Gaming
Chapter 9. Poker and Tournament Gaming
Chapter 10. Casino Cage and Cash Operations
Chapter 11. Credit and Player Accounts
Chapter 12. Player Loyalty and Casino Marketing
Chapter 13. Gaming Regulation and Licensing
Chapter 14. Tribal Gaming Fundamentals

Learning Objectives
  • Recognize the competitive factors impacting the gaming industry, the different types of gaming niches, the impact of corporate ownership on it, value creation, risk factors, and how differentiation is used within the industry.
  • Recall the subsections of the industry that have bargaining power, how to establish the competitive radius of a casino, structural factors for tribal gaming entities, and the unique operating factors and risks associated with each type of gaming.
  • Recognize the general organizational and procedural structure of a casino, how procedural adjustments are used to create value, which controls are most critical, and how financial analysis and reporting can be used to optimize results.
  • Specify the operational characteristics of casino games, the win-loss probabilities associated with them, how a casino earns profits from them, and the impact of outcome volatility on earnings.
  • Recall how slot machines function, the key controls and risks related to them, and how they are positioned to optimize profits and equipment maintenance.
  • Recognize how table games function, the key controls and risks associated with them, data collection requirements, how a casino earns a profit from them, and how their operations can be optimized.
  • Recall how sports betting operations function, how to optimize and measure them, the key controls and risks associated with them, how a casino earns a profit from them, and how to operate digital sportsbooks.
  • Recognize how online and mobile gaming operations function, how to optimize and measure these operations, the key controls and risks associated with them, and how a casino earns a profit from them.
  • Specify how poker and tournament operations function, how to optimize and measure these operations, the key controls and risks associated with them, and how a casino earns a profit from them.
  • Recall the process flow within a cage, the key transactions it performs, essential cage controls, and the key risks that a properly-functioning cage can mitigate.
  • Recognize the process flow for granting credit to customers, essential risks and how they are controlled, how to optimize credit operations, and the documentation standards of the credit function.
  • Recall how player loyalty systems are constructed, controlled, and optimized, as well as how marketing activities and employee performance expectations are set to maximize profits while supporting responsible play.
  • Recognize the structure of gaming regulations, how they apply to casinos and gaming-equipment manufacturers, and how casino operations should be structured to remain compliant at all times.
  • Specify how tribal gaming is structured, both in terms of regulatory requirements and ownership, as well as casino accounting and reporting requirements, how to deal with compliance issues, and deal with casino funding requirements versus the needs of the tribe.

Instructional Method: QAS Self-Study
Prerequisite Education or Experience: None
Program Knowledge Level: Overview
Advance Preparation: None
Latest Review Date: September 2026
Program Registration Requirements: Click on the Enroll button to pay for and access the course. You will then be able to download the course as a PDF file, then take an on-line examination, and then download a certificate of completion if you pass the examination.
Program Refund Policy: For more information regarding administrative policies concerning complaints, refunds, and other matters, see our policies page.

AccountingTools, Inc. is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have the final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.
The NASBA sponsor identification number for Accountingtools, Inc. is 115881.

AccountingTools is an IRS Approved Continuing Education Provider. We are compliant with the requirements for continuing education providers (as described in sections 10.6 and 10.9 of the Department of Treasury’s Circular No. 230 and in other IRS guidance, forms, and instructions). Our IRS Approved Continuing Education Provider number is 72821.