Why Do You Never See Male Cocktail Runners?

Why do you never see male cocktail runners?

We answered this question in 2019, but we receive it on occasion, so we figured it was time to address it again.

"What you’re seeing is evidence from the era when the casino industry was run by men for men," David McKee, writer of our Stiffs & Georges blog, tells us. "Actually, it still is. The executive suites remain an almost all-male domain and that's reflected in such manifestations as the cocktail waitress in the almost-there uniform. It’s a patriarchal situation that probably won’t change until the board rooms and executive washrooms start looking more like America in general."

“Generally speaking, an employer wouldn’t be able to hire only female cocktail servers.” Attorney Greg Wilken of Endunamo Group, a Las Vegas human-resources consulting firm, gives us the legalese. “There's a limited exception in employment-discrimination law, however, called a Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ), that allows employers in very rare circumstances to hire in a way that would otherwise be illegal. It’s most often used by churches and other religious organizations that need to hire only employees of a certain faith. It has been used in the past by Hooters to justify hiring servers who have a certain look. The argument that Hooters made is that this profile is so intrinsic to their brand that they couldn't hire anyone who doesn’t convey the image they're trying to promote. It’s possible that the casinos have made similar arguments to justify a predominantly female [cocktail] workforce.”

The issue flies well outside of Nevada casino oversight. According Nevada Gaming Control Board analyst Michael Lawton, as far as the Board is concerned, “A 'gaming employee' doesn't include bar backs or bartenders whose duties do not involve gaming activities or cocktail servers or other persons engaged exclusively in preparing or serving food or beverages.”

While the casino industry likes to purvey a certain image that includes all- (or predominantly) female cocktail servers, there are exceptions. “We're an equal-opportunity employer in this regard,” writes Boyd Gaming communications director David Strow. “Both men and women are invited to apply for server openings at our properties and we currently employ men in these positions at our properties nationwide (though I don't have specific numbers immediately available).”

Most casinos, we assume, would respond similarly.

One that probably wouldn't was the old Rio, which for a while had cocktail runners of both sexes. They were all called "bevertainers" and from time to time they jumped up on little platforms throughout the casino to sing and dance. Those were the days.

Patrons from overseas might find the cocktail-waitress culture of the U.S. novel, to say the least. According to Peter White, publisher of British magazine Casino Life, gambling halls in the United Kingdom “all have bars and those bars have male and female staff. Some casinos offer entertainment in the evening, but that is rarely every evening and, in most cases, patrons will get their drinks from the bar.

“The Hippodrome London is a the second biggest casino in the UK,” White continues, “and that has waiter and waitress staff serving patrons during the evening’s entertainment.”

Back in the colonies, there's some question as to how many men would want to be slinging drinks for a living, though they aren’t subjected to the revealing uniforms into which casinos like to squeeze their female staff.

Strow continues, “While we always consider applications from qualified candidates equally, regardless of gender, traditionally there is far less interest in these jobs from male candidates. From our perspective, this is why you see fewer men in these positions, but men are always welcome to apply if they're interested.”

No part of this answer may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the publisher.

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William Mechanic Jul-10-2023

Male servers

My home casino parx in Pennsylvania has both male and female servers.  The women and men are exceptionally good looking. Of all the casinos I have ever been at these folks are by far the best looking servers I have ever seen.  The hiring coordinator for this job has a very strict policy for looks

Kevin Rough Jul-10-2023

Rio

When I first read the question before reading the answer, my first thought was they used to have male cocktail waiters at the Rio.  But I haven't been to Rio in years as Caesars ran it into the ground.  Hopefully the new owners turn it around.

Robert Greene Jul-10-2023

Rio Bevertainers

I remember the male cocktail waiters at Rio as well -- this was in the era when the servers (both male and female) were known as "bevertainers" and would periodically mount a small round platform scattered throughout the casino and sing (and often shimmy) to recorded music. Some were actually pretty talented. I do remember some of the male bevertainers appearing somewhat "sketchy" in persona, but then again, today that would match the entire Rio vibe. It's a real shame what has happened to the Rio over the last two decades...

lennylasvegas Jul-10-2023

New England

Encore Boston Harbor and Mohegan Sun have both female and male beverage servers. The beverage service at Encore is the absolute worst simply because it takes forever to find a beverage server (yes, YOU need to search for THEM), and longer for them to get the beverage back to you. If a three-legged dog could be trained to deliver drinks, it would probably get hire by Encore, as they are so desperate for help.  The best set-up (in my opinion) is at MGM in Springfield MA. They have self-service beverage stations for sodas and hot coffee, freeing up the beverage servers to primarily focus on alcoholic drinks.

RichM Jul-10-2023

There are plenty outside Nevada

Harrah's Cherokee has both male and female cocktail runners. The majority are women but they have a fair share of men. The Midwest has plenty of casinos with some men doing the job as well.

Doc H Jul-10-2023

Woh!

Woh, woh, woh people! And come on! Get with the new world woketard order and get your 'they', 'them', 'it' terminology right! The terms male and female are so passe now. It's all fluid, male and female don't exist if you don't want them to. And frankly you can get yelled at in more than a few circles using those bad, bad insulting words these days, man and woman. We got biological males competing with women these days in sports and it's all good as very few blink an eye so what makes you think that person serving you drinks is a 'woman', er, they-them? Don't be so insulting, get with the program! Don't matter if that's a dude wearing a dress and mustache serving you drinks in the casino, if they identify as woman, that's a woman to you and you better accept that or else.

In any case, I'd guess ask lewis for more details at this point. He(oops, 'they'?) seems more invested and bought into the they-them social this-that dimmy-libby get your pronouns right nation we live in now.

Kevin Lewis Jul-10-2023

Have a drink, Doc

It's been said repeatedly in the comments that Doc needs professional help. I think, however, that even amateur help could be useful at this point. Maybe he just needs to get laid? Personal ads? Lonely hearts club? His being a complete lunatic wouldn't be a deterrent--there's someone for everyone. Even Frankenstein's monster found a bride















It's been said multiple times that Doc needs professional help, but I think even amateur help would do at this point. Cocktails! On the double!

Doc H Jul-10-2023

lol

lol

Mr. Seafood 21 Jul-10-2023

RIO SERVERS

I stayed at the Rio Superbowl weekend. It was a last minute trip and was the only CET Casino I could get comped nights. They still have a number of male servers. At the Rio one person takes the orders and keys them in on a handheld tablet. 5-10 minutes later someone else brings the drinks. The casino was a ghost town.

rokgpsman Jul-10-2023

cocktail guys

Years ago my wife and I were playing blackjack at Sam's Town and we heard a male voice saying "Cocktails-cocktails". We looked and there was a young guy taking drink orders. It was the only time we ever saw one in all the Vegas visits we've taken. I guess it's one of the jobs that males aren't too interested in, such as elementary school teacher, nursing, flight attendant, receptionist, dental hygienist, manicure/pedicure and others. I suppose males would still get the same tips that a female cocktail server gets since it's the drink you're tipping for and people don't care who brings it to them. So looks like a guy would enjoy making money that way instead of being a dealer and depending on tips, putting up with players that smoke nearby. Nowadays you'd think there'd be many males applying for cocktail server jobs, so I wouldn't be surprised if the Vegas casinos purposely only hire women as cocktail servers, it's part of the way the management relics think things should be done.

[email protected] Jul-10-2023

Male Servers

I remember our first trip (1994) playing Let It Ride in Ballys and being served by a guy. He kept bringing Scotch on the Rocks without us even asking.It was great!

Question of the Day - 10 July 2023

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