The grand opening for the Rivers Casino in Portsmouth, Virginia is scheduled for 2023 but 1,300 jobs will need to be filled before the launch. Although labor shortages plague the industry, casino officials believe they will have the positions filled.
Rivers Casino Portsmouth Human Resources Vice President Johnee Ingram commented: "We have 1,300 jobs that we have to fill by the end of this year before opening.
"Every industry is being affected by this workforce shortage post-COVID. We’re all affected by it, but I don’t see it as a big issue."
The casino has hosted job fairs in an effort to fill positions throughout the location.
Hospitality Vice President Karl Waitner told WVEC: "To be honest with you, I think some departments will fare better than others in regard to finding enough staff.
"That might be a challenge at first, but as we start moving on, I think that we’re going to get enough excitement in the area, and I think we’re going to do just fine."
Both Waitner and Ingram noted the casino is looking to fill positions in marketing, human resources, IT, facilities, front-of-house, and back-of-house food and beverage leadership, and engineering.
Slated to open in 2023, Rivers Casino Portsmouth will join Bristol Casino which opened in early July. Patrons of Virginia's first casino spent over $37m in wagers through the first week.
A Norfolk casino project from the Pamunkey Indian Tribe will have a temporary facility opened by March of 2023.
The Caesars Danville location is expected to open sometime in 2024.
