Fair, Independent Tip
Distribution for Casinos
We run your tronc so every pound of tips, gratuities and service charges reaches your team, fairly and transparently, with the records to prove it.
With growing scrutiny over fair pay practices and tax regulations, it’s essential for hospitality businesses to understand how tronc schemes work, their benefits, and the legal requirements surrounding them.
30 Day Rolling Contract
No Set-Up Costs
No Hidden Fees
Payroll Integration
Casino tips are not like other tips
A casino is several businesses under one roof. You have a gaming floor, bars, restaurants, private rooms and often a hotel or entertainment venue. Tips arrive in chips and cash at the tables, on cards at the bar, and as service charges on food and drink bills, and they are often high in value. Staff work long shifts across days and nights, and teams in different departments expect different things from a fair split.
That makes tip distribution harder to get right, and more visible when it goes wrong. Recent tip disputes in the sector, and the legal changes that followed, mean regulators, staff and the press are paying closer attention to how casinos handle tips.
The problems we help casinos solve
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Tips handled by management. If tips are shared by your own managers, you carry the risk of complaints, suspicion and tribunal claims. An independent troncmaster takes you out of the decision.
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Gaming and non-gaming staff. Dealers, supervisors, cashiers, bar and restaurant teams, hosts, valets and security can all be treated differently. We design a scheme that suits your venue, with separate pools or one shared pool.
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High volumes and tight audit trails. Casinos are used to scrutiny and record-keeping. We keep clear calculations and records for every distribution.
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Shift patterns and turnover. New starters, leavers, long-term absence and changes of role are built into every calculation.
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Multiple sites. If you run more than one venue, we can run your schemes together or separately.
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Rising employer costs. Tips and service charges paid through payroll without a tronc attract employer National Insurance. A properly run tronc can reduce it.
What Can
You Save?
When a tronc is properly set-up and independently managed, tips and service charges distributed through it are not subject to employer National Insurance. At the 15% employer rate, that is up to £150 for every £1,000 distributed.
Illustration: a casino distributing £300,000 a year in tips and service charges through a tronc could see employer NIC savings of up to £45,000 a year, before our fee. Actual savings depend on your scheme, so use our Tronc Calculator to test your own numbers.
Who we can include in your scheme
The troncmaster decides how tips are shared, and the scheme can include front-of-house and back-of-house staff, as long as the method is fair and applied consistently. In a casino that might mean:
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dealers and croupiers
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gaming inspectors and floor supervisors
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cashiers and chip handlers
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bar and restaurant staff, including chefs and kitchen teams
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hosts, reception and concierge
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valets, cloakroom and security
Built for the Allocation of Tips Act
Since 1 October 2024, employers in England, Scotland and Wales have had to pass on tips, gratuities and service charges in full, allocate them fairly, pay them by the end of the month after the customer paid, keep a written tipping policy, and keep records for three years. These rules apply to tips that casinos receive and to cash tips whose sharing the casino controls, which includes tips pooled from gaming tables.
Our troncmaster service gives you a clear allocation method, regular payments and a complete audit trail. New duties to consult staff on your tipping policy are also on the way.
Clear pricing
Our weekly tronc management fee starts from £35 + VAT for up to 15 employees, £55 + VAT for 16–50 and £75 + VAT for 51–100, with a minimum monthly fee of £125 + VAT. Most casinos have more than 100 staff, so we quote individually based on headcount, number of sites, how often you pay out, and how complex your pay is. There are no set-up fees, and no long-term contract, just a 30-day rolling agreement.
Why casinos choose Troncmaster Solutions
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Independent. We act as your troncmaster, so allocations are made without employer influence.
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Flexible. A 30-day rolling contract and a scheme designed around your venue.
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Joined up with payroll. Payments run through your own payroll, so your staff see their tips with their pay.
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Specialist. Our team keeps up to date with tronc, HMRC and tipping legislation so you don't have to.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do tips left at gaming tables go into the tronc?
Where your house rules say table tips are pooled, they are usually paid into the tronc and allocated by the troncmaster. How chips and cash are handled depends on your policy and licence conditions, and we design the scheme around them.
Can we keep separate pools for gaming and for food and drink?
Yes. A scheme can use one pool or several, as long as the method is fair, clear and consistently applied.
Is a tronc a legal requirement?
No. A tronc is optional. The Allocation of Tips Act applies either way, but a tronc is a practical way to meet it and can reduce employer National Insurance.
Do tips count towards minimum wage?
No. Tips and service charges, whether or not they go through a tronc, do not count towards the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage. Base pay must be paid separately.
What happens to tips under the new tipping law?
Since October 2024, all employer-received tips - including card payments and service charges - must be passed on to staff in full. A properly managed tronc is the simplest and most tax-efficient way to do this.
Is there a set-up fee?
No. We don't charge for set-up. You pay our on-going management fee, and that's it.
A Guide To Tronc Schemes
Looking to better understand how Tronc schemes work? Our helpful guide to Tronc schemes breaks down everything you need to know - from what a Tronc is and how it’s managed, to staying compliant with HMRC regulations. Whether you’re an employer in hospitality or an employee receiving tips, this guide simplifies a complex topic. Download your free copy and take the guesswork out of Tronc management today.
