MAGDA RZEPKOWSKA, general manager of the Penthouse Casino and Card Club, Swords
When communism fell in Poland, you entered the casino business. What attracted you to that industry?I don't know. What attracted you to become a journalist? I wanted to see the world. There was an advertisement on the radio for a job in a casino in Poznan. Candidates had to speak English, which I did. So I got the job. It's a brilliant trade. No matter where you go on earth, roulette is roulette and blackjack is blackjack.
Were casinos legal in Poland back then and, if so, who had currency to gamble?Nothing in Poland was very transparent back then. That's how the country was. That's how the people were. Some of our customers were foreign exchange traders. Some were gypsies. Maybe some were doing their little drug business or whatever. I was there to deal the cards. I have no idea where the money was coming from.
Is that a dangerous environment to work in?People who gamble are not necessarily the nicest people. Maybe I should rephrase that; occasionally, some customers will take things a little too seriously. I have had things thrown at me. I've been called all sorts of names. What I tell the ladies who work for me is to be as diplomatic as possible. And not to worry, because there is always protection behind you.
Why are most of your employees female?Because most of my customers are male.
You've worked in casinos all over the world. What's the largest amount of money you've seen gambled on a spin of the wheel or hand of cards?I think the largest would be about $50,000 on one spin.
What possesses someone to risk that kind of money on a game of chance?Why do people play the lottery? It's a dream they are chasing.
Any wild or crazy incidents you can recall?In Dar as Salaam, Tanzania, a fight once broke between two groups of Chinese and Indian customers. Chairs were thrown around the place.
I received a phone call from the night manager on duty, he said: “Magdalena, we have a fight.” I said: “What do you want me to do about it? I’m in bed.” When I watched it back on the camera later, I just laughed. They were fighting over nothing.
What about gamblers using signals, disguises, earpieces . . . anything like that?I've never anything like that happen. Certainly, there are gangs that move from casino to casino. But with technology nowadays, casinos are able to share this information straight away. As long as you have good surveillance in place, you're usually protected from risk.
On a smaller scale, you will always have people try to double their bets after the game has been determined, or palming an extra chip onto a winning number.
When you catch someone doing that, do you break their fingers personally, or do you have henchmen to do it for you?I'm sorry to disappoint you, but it's not like the movies. I don't think anyone implements force in today's age. Normally, we would review the incident on the camera system and determine how long it had been going for. Then we would ask the person to leave, ban them from our casinos and share their information with other casinos. But we don't break anybody's fingers. Sorry.
If I was a multimillionaire tycoon, and a hopeless gambler, what ruses would you use to keep me at the table?Well, the first thing I would say to you is that you are very welcome in our casino! There is a VIP room, so I would make sure that you were gambling in very exquisite facilities. It's like flying first class – you get the best drinks, the best food, the best tables and direct assistance from management.
What if I suddenly won a lot of the house's money and decided to call it a night?If you want to leave, I won't try to stop you. Gambling is a bug you have already acquired. It is in you already. I know that you are coming back.
The house always wins. So why are casinos never short of customers?There are customers who play constantly for hours on end and win nothing. Then there are customers who walk in and their numbers keep coming up. But ultimately, I think people come to the casino because they enjoy the atmosphere. You asked me a moment ago what I would do if the house was losing.
The thing is, we’re happy when there are winners because we know they are coming back. If everybody loses, we would have no customers.
The Penthouse Casino and Card Club is a private members’ club opening on May 18th
