With the football season finally underway, sports books throughout Las Vegas are picking up from the normal summer lull. It’s one of the best times to be in a book, whether you’re in front of the counter or behind it. But for Carol Griffin, a ticket writer at the sports books in Paris Las Vegas and Bally’s, every day is a good day to be in the book. The retired school teacher from Texas works for fun, and she’s found plenty of that in the book. “I do come here for fun and that is a neat thing, because when you’re happy, everyone else is happy,” she said. The book is like a big family made up of coworkers, sports bettors, handicappers and race enthusiasts. When things are a little slow, Griffin loves the opportunity to interact with her customers, regulars and new faces alike. She gets just as much joy out of seeing a returning customer as she does showing a new bettor the ropes of sports wagering. And it doesn’t hurt that she’s a sports fan. While every day is different, there are a couple that really stand out. Big events like the Super Bowl, Kentucky Derby and March Madness create an electric atmosphere. “You start feeling that excitement. People are coming in, they’re ready to go and they get into it and you get into it, too.” People can sense that Griffin is happy to be working, and her positive attitude rubs off, adding to the family-like environment of the books at Bally’s and Paris. It’s hard to figure out who gets the best deal—Griffin, who loves sports, Harrah’s, who got a great team member, or the customers that Griffin serves.

By Greg Jones

Greg Jones is managing editor of Casino Connection Nevada, as well as associate editor of Global Gaming Business magazine.