Yaamava Casino to Hold Virtual Forum on Gaming, Hospitality Careers

Posted on: October 17, 2021, 10:34h. 

Last updated on: October 18, 2021, 11:03h.

Steve Bittenbender Read More
Expertise: Legislation, Sports Betting, Horse Racing.

The Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel will hold a free virtual career development event on Monday and Tuesday for people considering careers in the gaming and hospitality sector.

Yaamava casino career expo
An exterior shot of the Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in Highland, Calif. The tribal casino will hold a free, virtual two-day career expo starting on Monday. (Image: Yaamava’)

The Highland, Calif., casino is owned and operated by the San Manuel Entertainment Authority, a division of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. Yaamava, which recently completed a name change, is in the midst of an aggressive expansion project. The second of three phases is expected to open toward the end of the year.

Officials from the tribal nation and the casino will be among the speakers in eight panel discussions over the two-day event. It’s designed to give individuals interested in new career opportunities insights from executives and experts from a wide array of industries.

We are a culture of education, community, and innovation,” said Yaamava’ General Manager Peter Arceo, who is scheduled to participate in one of the panels. “This virtual event is aligned with that purpose and designed to take careers to the next level.”

The expo, called Next Level Casino Careers, will run from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm PT on both days. Registration for the free event is available at the virtual event’s web site.

Gaming, Entertainment Execs Scheduled to Talk

Besides tribal officials, the list of scheduled speakers includes several executives from gaming, entertainment, and sports circles.

Brian Christopher, CEO of BC Slots, and Laura Fernandez will be among the panelists in a Monday morning talk on building connections and networking. Corey Norkin, the vice president of global partnerships for the Los Angeles Dodgers, will join Arceo as part of a talk on building partnerships.

Hector Fernandez, president of Americas for Aristocrat, will be part of a group discussion on making career changes, while Scientific Games CEO of Gaming Matt Wilson will be on a panel discussing how to transform innovative ideas to operations.

Both days will also feature opportunities for virtual attendees to receive career advice and interview with decision-makers at the Yaamava’ casino.

Gambling Jobs Expected to Grow in Coming Years

Even as online gaming emerges in the United States, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts a strong need for workers at brick-and-mortar casinos and other gambling establishments for the foreseeable future.

There were more than 117,000 gambling service workers in the US last year, according to the bureau’s Occupational Outlook updated last month. However, analysts expect the industry to add another 28,000 jobs over the next decade. That 24 percent anticipated growth is considered much higher than average.

But beyond adding jobs, the BLS forecasts expects a bit of turnover as well. On average, it’s expected that the gaming industry will have about 20,500 job openings each year.

“Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire,” the bureau stated in its outlook.

The BLS outlook also expects hospitality industry jobs to grow as well, albeit at a slower pace than the gaming industry.

Jobs for lodging managers are expected to grow at a 9 percent clip over the decade to more than 52,000 by 2030. That percentage growth is considered to be close to average for the time frame.

Food service managers, which include restaurant and hotel establishments, are expected to see a growth of 15 percent – or more than 46,000 – in the next decade.