US casinos aim to improve gender equality in management | National News

Atlantic City, NJ (AP) — Organizational and industry diversification is only half the battle. The secret is to diversify your organization.

A little over a year ago, Atlantic City celebrated the wave of women’s leadership in the casino industry. Four of the nine casinos have women in the top jobs and are at the highest level in resort cities and many other casino markets in the country.

Within a few months, one in four was replaced by a man when the new owner took over Barry’s Casino. And earlier this month, the head of Ocean Casino Resort resigned a few days before the Detroit company was approved to take 50% ownership of the casino.

Women make up 51% of the US casino workforce nationwide, according to the American Gaming Association, a national industry association for the casino industry. However, this group does not track the percentage of women in the top casino jobs.

Casino diversification efforts have been going on for years, even though women and men in the industry agree that they need to do more.

Erin Chamberlin, Senior Vice President of Regional Business at Penn National Gaming, said: “But women have been successful so far and we are struggling to reach the next level. Look around the room and look through another lens. What is the representation of that room? Does it look like? “

These issues are not unique to the casino. Companies across the country and around the world are moving at different speeds to diversify their workforce.

A panel discussion on Tuesday at the East Coast Gaming Congress, Atlantic City’s leading casino conference, examined the role of women in the gambling industry.

Karen Warman, Vice President of Treasury at Caesars Entertainment in Atlantic City, said: Playboy bunny. “

Warman said he was optimistic about the future of women in the gambling industry and recommended that casinos provide female employees with cross-training in various aspects of their business to prepare for their promotion. rice field.

Atlantic City currently has two women-led casinos. Melony Johnson from Volgata and Jacqueline Grace from Tropicana.

Grace said the decline in women’s leadership in the market is a normal part of the flow experienced by the casino industry, and women who previously led Barry’s as general manager are now senior vice presidents and general managers. I did. Caesars Entertainment Casino on Lake Tahoe.

“I don’t see it as a loss of progress,” she said. “We have taken diversity and gender equality seriously,” said Caesars Entertainment.

In 2017, the company announced its commitment to achieve gender equality between leadership ranks by 2025.

Panelists agreed that balancing work demands with family life demands, especially during a pandemic, put special stress on women, including women with children. They said they tried to keep their kids quiet and out of the camera during a Zoom meeting, worked all day online or in the office, and then exhausted by doing what they needed to do at home. bottom.

“I try not to reply to emails at 1am,” added Brooke Fiumara, co-founder and former casino executive of casino software company OPTX. “It’s important to set boundaries.”

Small and subtle things, such as inviting a woman to the board to sit at the main table instead of sitting in a chair against the wall, can send a strong message of inclusion and support, according to Chamberlin. You can do it.

“I’ll tell you, Erin, sit here,” she said.

Stacey Rowland, Vice President of Regulatory Compliance at Rush Street Gaming, said companies need to tackle and implement diversity. She said it would eventually lead to a company that sees the world differently.

Instead of saying “I know a man,” Roland said, “I know a gal, and she can do the job.”

Follow Wayne Parry on Twitter @WayneParryAC

Copyright 2021 AP communication. all rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.

US casinos aim to improve gender equality in management | National News

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