Summary
- The employees feel their jobs are at risk due to iGaming.
- Casino workers feel players won’t visit anymore.
- Senator Addabbo says he does not seek to harm his constituents.
New York Senator Joe Addabbo has favored online gambling for years, having pushed for legislation in several states.
This year, Addabbo is fighting yet again to see online gambling legislation come to fruition in New York State.
With a bill in place, it would allow players to log online and explore slots and table games from home. Hundreds of employees at the Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct have called out the Senator, accusing him of risking their jobs with the iGaming measure.
Hurting His Constituents
In the letter, almost 700 employees of the Queens casinos spoke out against the online gambling effort. The letter accuses Senator Addabbo of pushing legislation that will hurt employees and the industry to benefit just a handful of companies seeking massive profits at the expense of their workers.
The letter was sent by the Hotel & Gaming Trades Council union and is a rebuke of the effort by the senator who only seeks to bring more gambling services to the state. The Resorts World Casino is located in Addabbo’s district, and the employees feel that iGaming would negatively harm their employment.
The employees feel that with iGaming in place, visitors will not come to Resorts World as they once did. A visit to the casino supports the cooks, bartenders, servers, and hotel workers. Players will find it more convenient to bet from home, so the casinos will not see as many travelers, which puts jobs at risk.
iGaming is Inevitable
Senator Addabbo says that online gambling is inevitable in New York. He points out that neighboring states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut have iGaming industries, and it’s a matter of if not when for New York.
The senator says bringing iGaming to the state would create $800 to $1 billion in yearly revenues. Online gambling will also increase jobs at casinos, according to Addabbo. His bill also seeks to put $25 million into a fund annually that will protect casino jobs.
The casino is currently hoping to obtain one of the three full casino licenses up for grabs in the downstate area. It is expected that Resorts will be given a Class III license so the venue can offer full-scale options like live table games.
Employees are now worried that if this licensing is obtained, it won’t make a huge difference due to the threat of iGaming. We shall see in the coming months if Resorts World obtains the license and if Addabbo’s legislation will be able to move forward.
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