Las Vegas Casinos Hiring as Resorts Open June 1 at Full Capacity  

Posted on: May 31, 2021, 03:06h. 

Last updated on: June 23, 2021, 01:28h.

Larry Henry Read More

Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Gaming Business, Legislation, Politics, Regulation.

With Nevada casinos opening at 100 percent capacity on Tuesday, Boyd Gaming in Las Vegas is holding its fourth job fair soon to fill openings. Other casinos in Las Vegas and across the country are hiring, too.

Boyd Gaming’s job fair on June 10 will be the fourth the company has conducted recently. The upcoming event is for the company’s quick-service food outlets, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. 

Boyd owns several properties in Southern Nevada, including the Fremont Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas. 

Another of Boyd’s downtown Las Vegas resorts, the Main Street Station Casino, Brewery and Hotel, has not reopened since the statewide pandemic-related lockdown began in March 2020. Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) allowed casinos to begin operating again in early June 2020 with capacity restrictions.

All casinos are allowed Tuesday to operate at 100 percent capacity for the first time since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Some casinos already were operating at full capacity based on workforce vaccination goals.

At other Body Gaming properties in the Las Vegas Valley, the company is hiring, company spokesman David Strow told the newspaper.

“Hiring is certainly one of our biggest challenges right now, but we have been able to find quality candidates,” he said.

The difficulty in finding employees “is to be expected,” said Amanda Belarmino, an assistant professor of hospitality at UNLV.

“Several former casino employees may have moved on to other occupations, or may have relocated,” she told the newspaper.

At one point last year, unemployment in the area was 34.2 percent, according to the Wall Street Journal. Las Vegas ranked worst in the nation for unemployment for any metropolitan area with a population of more than one million.

Earlier this year, however, the Las Vegas economy began to rebound, aided by the nationwide rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations and stimulus checks. McCarran International Airport, which saw a decline of passengers in the millions during the pandemic, has experienced an increase in the number of people using the airport.

‘A Very Good Sign’

This hiring spree at Southern Nevada casinos indicates the economy is on the upswing, Belarmino told the newspaper.

It is a very good sign that we have made such a rapid economic comeback,” she said.

Other hotel-casino companies in Southern Nevada also have held job fairs and are continuing to hire. 

Golden Entertainment has offered on-the-spot hiring and $500 bonuses for some positions. The company owns several PT’s pubs and hotel-casinos in Southern Nevada, including the Strat Hotel, Casino and Skypod in Las Vegas.

Southern Casinos Seek Workers

Golden Entertainment is not the only casino company paying bonuses. 

In Arkansas, Southland Casino Racing in West Memphis was offering a $1,500 bonus and free training for dealers in an effort to attract employees. The property also recently raised the pay for salaried, non-tipped employees to $15 an hour. These employees include those working in security, food and beverage, housekeeping, and player service job.

Casinos in Mississippi also have conducted job fairs to attract potential workers. The state has 26 commercial casinos. Of those, 12 are along the Gulf Coast, mostly in the Biloxi area.