Atlantic City gaming employment down 17%
Reduced capacities and a reduction in services mean casinos have made further cutbacks on staff.
US.- The number of people employed at Atlantic City’s gaming facilities fell by 17 per cent in October when compared with the same month last year.
According to the New Jersey state regulator, Atlantic City’s nine casinos were collectively contracting 22,220 people in October, 4,670 less than in October 2019.
The number includes 283 job losses in September, but also includes “a significant number of individuals on furlough due to Covid-19,” the regulator said.
Around 16,000 workers were laid off in March at the height of pandemic when casinos were forced to close.
In early July, casinos reopened their doors but at a reduced capacity of 25 per cent with strict sanitary protocols that restrict the services that can be offered.
President of the Casino Association of New Jersey and regional president for Caesars Entertainment Inc, Steve Callender, told media: “It’s getting tougher and tougher. These restrictions make a big difference.”
Former casino marketing executive and current professor of casino management, Robert Ambrose, added: “The industry is hurting globally. The labor numbers we see are a direct reflection of seasonal staff reductions, pandemic influencers, such as mandated restrictions on dining, capacity and events, and a lack of discretionary income from those that are unemployed.”
Despite the economic challenges for land-based casinos, other areas of the gambling industry are picking up speed. In September, New Jersey broke the nationwide record for the amount spent on sports betting in a month.
