NY Casinos Could Be Allowed to Employ Convicted Felons

By Jerry Smith Staff Writer Updated: 12/24/2022

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NY Casinos

It has been revealed that casinos in New York could soon be allowed to employ convicted felons, and many believe this would be a big help due to the lack of applications coming in for jobs.

According to upstate New York casinos and the two downstate racinos, trying to get employees on board has become increasingly difficult due to lack of interest and applications, so allowing some convicted felons to work in casinos could provide a new solution to help with staffing.

At present, the state does not allow anyone with a felony conviction to be employed in the commercial gaming sector in New York. However, lawmakers have been keen to change this and allow convicted felons to get work within the industry. To this end, legislation was introduced earlier this year and Senate Bill 1443B was passed by the New York State Legislature.

Awaiting Decision from New York Governor

The bill was forwarded to the state governor, Kathy Hochul, earlier this week. However, she has not yet given any indication of whether she plans to sign it into law.

The bill does have strong support from many state officials, and it could make a big difference to both casinos in the state and those with felony convictions who are eager to find work. SB 1443B reads:

No casino key employee license shall be denied solely on the basis of a conviction.

It goes on to state that former criminals will only qualify if they have demonstrated that they’ve been rehabilitated.

It is reported that the state’s gaming commission would still have the right to deny employee licenses due to applicants’ criminal histories. In addition, the gaming employment statute will still prevent the employment of criminals within the industry if they have certain convictions, such as fraud, embezzlement, and perjury.

Huge Numbers of Jobs Coming Up

With so many changes ongoing when it comes to the booming casino industry in New York, there will be many jobs coming up in the near future.

A number of casino operators have already stated that they will be taking on more employees, including MGM, which said that if it receives one of the downstate casino licenses that are up for grabs, it will be taking on around 2,500 additional workers.

Another casino that could take on thousands more workers is Resorts World, as it will also undergo massive expansion if it receives one of the casino concessions.

One of the issues that all casinos are now facing is getting people to apply for positions within the industry.

There have been problems since the global pandemic when a lot of casino workers were laid off, but once the situation eased, many casinos found it difficult to get people back on board. This has left casinos across the country struggling to get adequate staffing, which then has an impact on services.

Many are hoping that if this bill is signed off by the governor, it could bring an influx of applications for existing and future vacancies that arise.