Ocean Resorts Casino and Hard Rock Atlantic City plan to add most of the 1500 jobs.
The New Jersey Casino Control Commission, the American Legion, and the state Parole Board are co-hosting a jobs fair on April 19 for potential casino worker. Saying the casinos want to “Bet on the Vet”, a New Jersey-based veterans affairs coordinator said retired military veterans will be given priority.
1500 casino jobs should be available to attendees, so non-veterans should feel confident of receiving jobs, if they have the right qualifications and background. Even those with no experience as a dealer should know that casinos have dealer schools to teach the needed skills.
The April 2018 jobs fair could be the best chance to be hired by an Atlantic City casino in years, because two new resorts are opening in the coming months.
Representatives from all 7 currently operating Atlantic City casinos will be in attendence. So will representatives from the two casinos which plan to open in Atlantic City this year: Ocean Resort Casino and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.
Lost Jobs from 2014 to 2016
In 2014, four casinos closed, costing 8,000 jobs to Atlantic City — a municipality of about 40,000 people. Many of those casino workers left the area, looking for other jobs in the US casino industry. In October 2016, another 3,000 casino jobs were lost, as the Trump Taj Mahal closed. One of the casinos reopening this year is the former Trump Taj Mahal, now called the Hard Rock Atlantic City.
Back in February, 4,800 people showed up to a casino jobs fair. Annette Speights, who was first in line of the 4800 arrivals, at the time said, “I need a job like I need to breathe.”
Speights added later in discussing her arrival with the Press of Atlantic City, “Whatever they have right now. I don’t mind working my way up.”
Hard Rock to Open in May 2018
Hard Rock Atlantic City plans a May 2018 opening. Ocean Resort plans to open a few months later, in the mid-summer of 2017. Hard Rock has begun to hire and train workers, while Ocean Resort bought its property just last month and is thus a bit further behind in the hiring process.
Matt Harkness, president of the Hard Rock Atlantic City, said the new casino is going to be a world class gaming, entertainment, and leisure venue. Harker, who worked for the Trump Organization for 15 years, said of the renovation of the old Trump Taj Mahal, “Every inch of the building is going to be completely redone. We’re going all the way down to the concrete — in the hotel rooms, the casino floor, the restaurants.”
“It’s a complete transformation of the property, including the exterior. People won’t recognize the look of the place. It’s going to be completely transformed [and will be] spectacularly beautiful, contemporary, yet comfortable and welcoming to the guests in terms of the presentation. The fit and finish of the property is going to be spectacular.”
More Jobs Expected in Coming Months
Potential workers might not care what the building looks like, the but the grander and newer the casino, the more likely it will draw a new wave of customers. In the long run, that should translate into jobs.
Those who do not receive a job offer in April should not be discouraged. Casino Control Commission Chairman James Plousis told the Press of Atlantic City that, besides the 1500 jobs available on April 19, several thousand more are expected to be available in the coming months.
“Bet on the Vet”
Bob Looby, the head of Veterans Affairs in New Jersey, said the Atlantic City casinos have assured him they would give priority to US military veterans. Looby repeated the slogan “Bet on the Vet” when describing his anticipation of good casino jobs.
Veterans are not the only demographic expected to be well-represented at the jobs fair. Hard Rock International CEO Jim Allen told an audience at a local black church that he expected his company to hire a large number of African-Americans.
Jim Allen’s Hiring Plan for Hard Rock
Jim Allen worked in Atlantic City in the 1980s and 1990s, both for the Hilton and Trump organizations. Mr. Allen understands the local workforce and the needs of residents, so he plans to meet those needs.
Allen also suggested he might hire workers from the Local 54 of the UNITE HERE casino workers union. Bob McDevitt, head of the Local 54, sounded excited by the prospect. It was a strike by the Local 54, who represented about 1000 of Trump Taj Mahal’s 3000-person workforce, which was at the center of event which led Carl Icahn to close the Taj and sell it to Hard Rock International in the first place.
