Rochester native and casino shift manager calls Lilac Club Casino success a sure bet

Richie Cembalisty, a shift manager at Lilac Club Casino, oversees a training session for a table game on Tuesday (Rochester Voice photos)

ROCHESTER - One of the Lilac Club Casino's shift managers said on Tuesday that having a casino is a great thing for the city of Rochester.
"Usually in Rochester there's nothing to to by seven or eight at night," said Richie Cembalisty. "I mean there's a couple of bars downtown, but that's about it. This is way more exciting, it's real nightlife."
And Cembalisty should know, after all he's lived all his life in Rochester.
On Tuesday he was working with new hires on running table games as they prepare for the Grand Opening on March 14, but took some time out to speak with The Rochester Voice.
Cembalisty said growing up he didn't have any idea what career path he would choose. He graduated from Portsmouth Christian Academy and then went on to UNH where he graduated in 2008 with a major in business.
Then in 2011 he applied for a job as a dealer at Ocean Gaming and worked as a dealer for two years before becoming a floor manager and ultimately a shift manager.

Lilac Club Casino Chief Operating Officer Eric Barbaro while giving The Rochester Voice a tour on Tuesday

Asked what it takes to be a good dealer, he said most important was how you treat the folks at the table.
"The most important thing is you have to have a good personality and make sure everyone has a good time," Cembalisty noted. 'They are not there to win money, they're there to have some fun."
Looking around at various training sessions on table and poker throughout the spacious facility, an aura of excitement and anticipation was palpable.
A tour with the casino's chief operating officer, Eric Barbaro, revealed many of the final touches being made on the facility prior to the opening just nine days away.
Barbaro said he started his career in the gaming industry almost 25 years ago, parking cars at Las Vegas' Treasure Island Casino.
He said one of the biggest assets the Lilac Club Casino is their loyalty program,which allows Lilac Club Casino gamblers to use credits earned at the Rochester casino at the Beach Club Casino in Hampton.

The casino boasts an expansive space for its machine games

"You could get $1,000 in credits and spend them at either casino," he said.
Barbaro said the lounge area will have an upscale sports bar/gastro pub feel with great food and plenty of flat screen TVs to watch the game.
He said they'll also have entertainment on weekends featuring live bands and other music acts.
And for folks who want to try their luck they'll be plenty of options, including 230 casino machines, 16 game tables and 12 poker tables.
Perhaps most importantly he believes they'll raise more than a million dollars a year for local nonprofits.