Wednesday, February 1, 2012 ~ Updated 3:51 PM

Effective January 2, 2012, Chet Koch will serve as the vice president and general manager of Isle Casino Cape Girardeau.
(Laura Simon)

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As Isle of Capri gets ready to hire nearly 500 people to staff its new Cape Girardeau casino, the company wants potential job applicants to know about their hiring process.

Isle Cape Girardeau General Manager Chet Koch told the Cape Girardeau Lions Club on Wednesday about the types of positions the new casino will offer and Missouri Gaming Commission's employee licensing regulations. Koch is speaking to several community groups this month about working at the new casino.

The timeline for hiring is still under development, Koch said, but the casino is still on schedule to open before the end of the year. Last week the company started its hiring process by internally posting its job openings for department director positions at its Cape Girardeau site.

Jobs will be advertised in families of similar occupations. Groups of applicants will be brought in before a panel of interviewers. They'll also be required to do "courtesy auditions" to act out how they would handle certain situations that may occur in the casino, Koch said.

"We're looking for someone who has the personality to be great in a crowd," he said.

Every employee, whether they're a dishwasher or a blackjack dealer, must have an occupational license granted by the Missouri Gaming Commission.

Most positions, such as a slot machine technician, a cashier or a waitress, require a level two occupational license for which the potential employee must complete a 30-page application.

These licenses are important to ensure the integrity of the gambling industry in Missouri, said Clarence Greeno, assistant deputy director of the Missouri Gaming Commission.

"The people of the state of Missouri have a vested interest in knowing the individuals operating these games and working in the casinos are of a moral character that gives them confidence that things are being handled properly," Greeno said.

The license approval process includes a background check by Missouri State Highway Patrol officers as well as a look at the potential employee's criminal background, credit, financial and tax records, he said.

These forms are submitted to the casino's human resources department and then the information is forwarded to the gaming commission.

"If you've ever sat in the back of a police car for any reason other than work, you probably won't get a license," Koch said. "That's how strict Missouri is at providing for the integrity of gaming."

Look for more on this story later at www.semissourian.com and in Thursday's Southeast Missourian,