The players at the casino gaming table bring to mind those that appear at a mediation room.  There are the rich and urbane, the wild-eyed, the loud-speaking, the secretive silent players who make notes of every throw of the dice, and the backers who do not play and have appointed others to play for them.  Different languages are spoken, many dialects are heard and a wide range of morals is usually found among the players.  These factors pose a difficult job to the boxman who oversees the gambling table, as well as the mediator.

All good boxmen and all good mediators must possess the following attributes:

Respect:  Respect is essential.  If it is lost, the game can degenerate into a chaotic state.  The mediator’s impartiality and reputation must not be diminished by his or her actions at any time in the mediation process.  So too with the boxman.

Concentration:  The boxman must keep total concentration at every moment of the game and know where each player at the table stands at all times.  He or she must make split-second decisions which may decide the entire direction of the game and although outwardly appearing detached, the boxman must be constantly vigilant.  So too the mediator.