Jobs forum outlines opportunities at new Virginia casino

A job forum in Virginia will be job seekers the chance to learn more about opportunities at Rivers Casino in Portsmouth.

WTKR reports the virtual forum will detail available jobs at the venue in a range of positions.

Opportunities exist in food and beverage, information technology, security and surveillance, marketing, finance, general administration, human resources, facilities and gaming.

During the virtual forum, Rivers Casino says participants will hear from Rush Street Gaming leaders about how they will build a diverse local workforce, open doors and inspire the community.

“Without exception, Rivers Casinos in other markets have improved the quality of life for our team members and their families,” senior vice president of development for Rush Street Gaming Jacob Oberman said.

“All Rivers Casinos have been voted a top workplace by the employees who work there and we are proud to bring these diverse opportunities to Portsmouth.”

Rivers Casino Portsmouth, when operational, will feature a full lineup of poker machines, table games and poker, as well as several new restaurants, a hotel and conference space.

The casino will crate more than 1300 permanent jobs and 1400 construction jobs.

Calls grow for online lottery sales in the US

Lottery operators in the United States are rallying their state officials to allow online ticket sales as a new normal after less people are walking into agencies.

Casino Review reported in August that after helping many national lotteries around the world go digital over the past few months, Ade Repcenko, chief executive officer of Spinola Gaming, believes that an upgrade to online sales is indeed the only way forward for the US lottery sector.

Over the past few months, only a handful of states were able to legally offer digital lottery ticket sales during their respective lockdowns: Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, North Dakota and Virginia.

Many of these states revealed they had experienced a surge in online ticket sales, with New Hampshire registering a 38 per cent jump in first-time online players during this period.

All other states require players to purchase a lottery ticket in person from a retail outlet and all saw sales and revenues tumble dramatically during the pandemic.

Despite a desire to go digital now shared among many lottery figures nationwide, state operators still require regulatory changes to take place before they can make the shift.

Unless these regulatory changes happen fast, the US market will lag behind Africa, Asia, Australia and Latin American, who already allow legal online lottery sales.

Director of Oregon State Lottery Barry Pack said retailers in Oregon lost 70 per cent of their customers due to the lockdown.

“The recovery from this pandemic is going to force a digital transformation in our industry a whole lot more quickly than we might normally have seen it come,” he said.

“When the legislature reconvenes next week, they’re facing a billion-dollar shortfall.

“Their opinions about mobile gaming will change. I think there will be less resistance.”

Director of Maryland Lottery Gordon Medenica said: “We’ve been pushing a digital transformation and online selling ever since I’ve been in this industry, over the past 10 to 15 years,” he said.

“In Maryland, they passed a law three years ago banning sales on the internet.

“I think we’ll see a dramatic change and I’m looking forward to it.”