College Offers Online Casino Course

The start of school means some students are one step closer to a career.

In Berks County, new college courses are a reflection of a changing community.

The backpacks signal back to school. For some students it's now class time.

"We keep a pulse on the local labor market," said John Devere, Reading Area Community College.

And one of the job opportunities Devere is seeing is table games.

"Since there was no guarantee there were going to be any casinos close by, I thought how can I get involved in this and how can the college get involved with it without making a commitment to hiring a full-time or part-time instructor," said Devere.

That's where your PC comes in. This year, RACC has partnered with "Education 2 Go," which provides online courses with open enrollment, so you can sign up at any time for any of the certificate programs or short-term courses.

Your instructor could be based anywhere in the U.S. and you'll have access to him or her via email and live chats.

DeVere said each instructor has a specific expertise that perhaps the college wouldn't be able to provide.

"We normally couldn't afford to do this, so whether we get one student or 100, we can run that class," said Devere.

There are close to 400 classes to choose from, and four of the courses are a direct reflection of a new option in Pennsylvania, like casino blackjack and poker dealers.

The State House Gaming Oversight Committee said the jobs are already out there.

The Committee said in less than a month of operation, table games in Pennsylvania created 4,460 jobs.

And with the advent of table games, the committee said revenue is on the rise.

Reports released last month by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board show an 18% hike in July. RACC's new initiative took notice of the numbers.