California Gambling Competition Causes Layoffs At Casino

The state of California has been on a mission for several years now to become the new casino gambling capital of the US. Governor Schwarzenegger has approved gaming compact after gaming compact with Indian tribes, and it now may be catching up to the state.

The Colusa Casino Resort has announced that they have laid off almost ten percent of their workers in the past week. They began the week with 480 employees, but have since had to fire forty-two of them.

The casino claims that the poor economy and competition from other casinos is the cause for the layoffs. It is not even just other casinos that is the competition, it is all entertainment venues including movie theatres and restaurants.

"The truth of the matter is that as the economy keeps getting worse, people are going to have to make choices with what little spending money they have," said observer Jonathon Beskrel, "and casinos are not high on that priority list when the competition is a ten dollar movie."

The casino had underwent a renovation as recently as 2006, when the Cachil Dehe Band of Wintun Indians poured $20 million into the casino. A fifty-five room hotel was added, along with restaurants and a gaming floor that almost doubled what it originally was.

Even with the layoffs, California appears prepared to continue to grow their gambling options. The governor has made reference to the possibility of legalizing online poker, which would make California the only state in the nation where Internet gambling on poker would be officially legal.

June 11, 2009
Posted By April Gardner
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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