SOC 39-3012.00

    Gambling and Sports Book Writers and Runners

    Post information enabling patrons to wager on various races and sporting events.

    Median pay
    $34,980
    Growth
    +1.8%
    Slower than average
    Openings a year
    1,400
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $22,090
    Median
    $34,980
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $48,270
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    8,950 people work in this occupation.

    What gambling and sports book writers and runners do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    Post information enabling patrons to wager on various races and sporting events. Assist in the operation of games such as keno and bingo. May operate random number-generating equipment and announce the numbers for patrons. Receive, verify, and record patrons' wagers. Scan and process winning tickets presented by patrons and pay out winnings for those wagers.

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    30 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    0 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    0 / 100
    Social (S)
    32 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    67 / 100
    Conventional (C) · strongest
    83 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code CES. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
    78
    Getting Information
    67
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    65
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    63
    Processing Information
    58
    Assisting and Caring for Others
    56
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    54
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    54
    Communicating with People Outside the Organization
    53
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    51
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Active Listening
    • Monitoring
    • Speaking
    • Coordination
    • Mathematics
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Critical Thinking
    • Service Orientation
    • Writing
    • Reading Comprehension

    Knowledge

    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Mathematics
    • English Language
    • Economics and Accounting
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Sales and Marketing
    • Personnel and Human Resources
    • Administration and Management
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Administrative

    Abilities

    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Near Vision
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Speech Clarity
    • Speech Recognition
    • Information Ordering
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Far Vision
    • Inductive Reasoning

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Integrity
    • Dependability
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Self-Control
    • Social Orientation
    • Cautiousness
    • Cooperation
    • Optimism
    • Self-Confidence

    Also called

    Bet Taker · Betting Clerk · Bingo Caller · Bingo Clerk · Bingo Floater · Bingo Worker · Bookie · Bookmaker · Caller · Cardroom Attendant

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What gambling and sports book writers and runners may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Licenses by state

    17 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

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    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

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    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.