ABSTRACT
Croupiers in the Slovenian border town of Nova Gorica occupy the worst of both worlds. They have worked hard at a ‘shady’ job but now struggle to make ends meet. Those who started out in the early 1990s, at the peak of the country’s casino industry, remember the days of ‘hope and glory’. Though the job of croupier was perceived ambiguously from the outset – with a mixture of fascination and wariness – many were drawn to casinos if only as a temporary fix to their financial challenges. Luka, a senior croupier with 20 years of experience, recalls a feeling of accomplishment upon receiving his first paycheck: he was in his early twenties and making five times his father’s salary. Money, however, was not the job’s only attraction. Sasha, a croupier trainer, felt a genuine excitement for being part of the burgeoning casino business. As Slovenia broke free from a socialist economy, political and legislative changes supported the growth of an industry that used to cater for a small elite of foreign customers. With minimal investment in marketing and customer service. Nova Gorica during the 1990s would receive as many as 10,000 guests a night from neighbouring Italy. Working in a casino appeared to offer a lucrative career in a growing industry.
