Many who worked their way up from dealers into supervisory roles went on to higher-level careers elsewhere in the country as gambling spread.
When New Jersey began legal casino gambling in 1978, it opened up a new world of possibilities for women, said Virginia McDowell, vice president of Global Gaming Women, which advocates for women in the gambling industry. “When women have a seat at the table and can say of a candidate: ‘I know her, she’s fantastic!’ the more opportunities we will get.” “The more women that get a seat at the table and prove their value, the better it is for the second, third and fourth person in the line,” said Nutton, who eventually became a senior vice president at the Wynn and MGM casino companies before retiring.
Debra Nutton was one of the first craps dealers in Las Vegas, which so irked one of her male bosses at the Sands that he referred to her in front of others as “that (expletive) broad.” She persevered and soon was promoted to manager of the dice pit, where a female boss was unheard of at the time.
