Published on: October 1, 2024, 10:25h.
Last updated on: October 1, 2024, 10:31h.
Pennsylvania casinos have increased their workforce in the past year, with a majority of new jobs going to men. The diversity in casino employment by race has remained consistent during the state’s 2023/24 fiscal year.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) released its 17th Annual Diversity Report, highlighting the efforts of casinos to enhance representation of diverse groups in the gaming industry. As of June 30, the state’s 17 casinos collectively employed 15,857 people, reflecting a 2.5% year-over-year increase.
Pennsylvania casinos are offering competitive compensation packages to attract top talent, with strategies in place to recruit, hire, and retain employees in a competitive market, according to Mozelle Daniels, the PGCB’s director of diversity.
The PGCB oversees various gaming activities, including casino gambling, sports betting, and iGaming, contributing to a record revenue of $5.89 billion in the 2023/24 fiscal year, a 6.8% increase from the previous year.
Pennsylvania ranks as the third-richest gaming state in the U.S., following Nevada and New Jersey.
Stagnant Diversity
The Diversity Report showed that minority representation in the workforce, particularly among non-white men, remained unchanged. Caucasians held 59% of the 15,857 jobs, a figure consistent with the previous year’s report.
The proportion of Black, Asian, and other minority workers remained stable at 16%, 12%, and 5% respectively, with Hispanics showing a slight increase to 9%. Male employment increased by 367 positions to 9,246, while female employment rose by 24 to 6,591.
Men now represent 58.3% of Pennsylvania’s casino workforce, up from 57.4% in the previous fiscal year.
Men also dominate executive and managerial roles at casinos, occupying 63% of these positions, with only one in four identifying as minorities.
City Casinos Embrace Diversity
Casinos in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh reported higher rates of minority inclusion in their workforce.
Rivers Casino Pittsburgh highlighted a 24% Black workforce, higher than the state average of 16%. Rivers Casino Philadelphia and Live! Casino Philadelphia also reported significant Black representation in their staff.
Valley Forge Casino Resort in Philadelphia suburbs boasted a 31% Black workforce. On the other hand, rural casinos like Hollywood Casino and Mohegan Pennsylvania have predominantly white staff.