Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work as a live casino dealer? Is it fun? Is it glamorous? Is it a lot of hard work? Márcinha Batenburg knows exactly what it's like, having experienced it firsthand. Now, the former model from the Netherlands, has shared an interesting look into the life of one of these dealers in her new book: The Dealer Who Pays Taxes.
The book, although a fictional romance novel, is loosely based on Batenburg's real life stories as a live casino dealer. The main character is Lavia Kievits, a young woman who recently moved to Malta to work as a live dealer. Lavia left behind her life in Brazil and believes she's found a great new life with a handsome boyfriend and many new friends. However, she soon finds out that the things in her wonderful new life aren't exactly as they seem.
Who is Márcinha Batenburg?
Batenburg was born in the Netherlands and, while attending university, she became a model and embarked on a four year modeling career, during which she appeared in several Dutch, Belgian and Brazilian magazines and TV shows.
In spite of finding success in this field, after receiving her Bachelor's Degree in Communication, she quit the modeling scene, realizing that she needed a steadier income. She opted for an office career instead, but soon found herself bored with this life. Three years later, when an opportunity to become a live dealer in Malta came along, she took it, eager to get back in the spotlight. Batenburg moved to Malta, where she still lives and now works as a copywriter.
During her time as a dealer, Batenburg experienced so many things that she felt inspired to write a book about them. Through her fictional storytelling, she gives the reader a glimpse into a world that some might find quite shocking. The Dealer Who Pays Taxes is her first novel.
Fact meets fiction
Just how close is Márcinha Batenburg's story to her character Lavia's? Márcinha Batenburg gave a little insight into this in a recent interview:
What drew you to work as a live casino dealer?
Before coming to Malta, I worked an office job for three years. I was kind-of bored with that and I knew from previous experience that I enjoyed working in front of a camera much more. So, I just took the opportunity when it came along.
**Fact - Both Márcinha and Lavia worked in an office job for three years before moving to Malta to become a live casino dealer.
Can you share one interesting story that actually happened to you and eventually ended up in the book?
One time a player said that he had recognized me and my friend in a club here in Malta and we ended up meeting him when he later approached us in the same club. It was funny because most of the players are not from Malta so you never actually get to see them. Also, dealers use stage names which make it harder for players to track them down.
**Fact - Márcinha's stage name was Taryna while Lavia's stage name was Nevada.
What tips or advice do you have for others who want to work in the industry?
First of all, it helps a lot if you speak the right language. Most sought after languages are usually Dutch, Swedish/Norwegian and Finnish, but it's not limited to those as the companies are starting to enter into more and more markets. Other than that, it really helps if you know the rules of the games. It shows that you have an interest in the business and will help you during training. Lastly, it's indispensable to have a customer oriented attitude.
**Fact - Márcinha speaks Dutch, Portuguese and English and so does Lavia.
