Gaming Industry Study Finds Substantial Female Leadership and Pay Gap

Posted on: November 18, 2020, 01:27h.

Last updated on: November 18, 2020, 02:12h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More

Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

The gaming industry is doing better when it comes to diversity, a new international review finds. But there remains a substantial difference in pay between men and women.

gaming industry Atlantic City casino executive — From left, Jacqueline Grace, Terry Glebocki, Karie Hall, and Melonie Johnson stand on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. The four women all head casinos in town, but the gaming industry elsewhere continues to lack female leadership. (Image: AP)

The All-In Diversity Project is a nonprofit based in London that seeks to promote diversity, inclusion, and workplace equality in the gaming industry. The organization reports this week that the pay gap between men and women in the gaming industry went the wrong way in 2019.

In 2018, there was something close to pay parity. In 2019, without exception, every salary band shows males earning more than females,” the report reveals. “The gender pay gap is real, and if anything, appears to have widened.”

No reason was given for the pay disparity. However, the organization said it would issue a more comprehensive report on the issue in early 2021.

Women are roughly equally represented in the lowest salary ranges (annual pay up to $50K). But as salaries increase, female representation diminishes, with men dominating the higher compensation levels.

All-In surveyed 26 participating gaming industry firms that control more than 100 brands and employ 126,000 workers. The 26 companies surveyed includes Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings, Flutter Entertainment, GVC Holdings, IGT, Microgaming, NetGaming, Sky Betting & Gaming, and Rank Group.

Female Breakdown

Of the 125,697 workers employed by the firms reviewed, 46.7 percent are women. However, their representation decreases as the chain of command climbs to the board room.

Thirty-nine percent of managers in the gaming industry are women, while 26 percent are department heads, and 23 percent director, vice president, partner, or C-level. Just 15 percent of chief executive positions are held by women.

As for board representation, just 22.5 percent of seats at the table are occupied by women. That’s down 5.5 percent from the prior year’s study.

US Progress

With Caesars the exception, the largest US casino operators did not participate in the All-In study. And when it comes to gender diversity, companies like MGM Resorts are making concerted efforts to put more women in charge.

In Atlantic City, for instance, four of the town’s nine casinos are today led by women. They are:

Bally’s — Karie Hall
Ocean Casino — Terry Glebocki
Borgata — Melonie Johnson
Tropicana — Jacqueline Grace

The gaming industry across the board has been focused on giving women a more powerful voice since the sexual misconduct allegations against Steve Wynn emerged in January of 2018. Wynn Resorts has since named Marilyn Spiegel President of Wynn Las Vegas and Encore. She’s only the third woman in Las Vegas history to oversee a Strip casino property.

However, much work remains to be done. Of the four casino operators on the Fortune 500 — Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, and Wynn Resorts — none has a female CEO.