The Mirage casino in Las Vegas is closing down, and Nevada’s Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) has said it will help employees who will lose their jobs to get new ones or start businesses. The famous casino run by Hard Rock International is to be shut on July 17 for major remodeling that will see it turned into a different brand.

DETR Launches Rapid Response Program for 3,350 Mirage Employees

Aiming to offer maximum assistance to the 3,350 staff that were affected by the shutdown, DETR is rolling out its Rapid Response Program. The initiative seeks to ensure that those who are laid off or have their places of work closed down can easily access different kinds of services and resources during this period of change.

Director of DETR, Christopher Sewell, noted that the department is dedicated to customizing support for Mirage workers and said that the goal is to help the employees as much as possible during these difficult times. DETR is planning on carrying out various workshops, job fairs, and information sessions so that employees can get equipped with the necessary skills for finding new jobs.

The Rapid Response team from DETR will provide a package which includes among other things budget planning help, advice on health cover alternatives, and vocational training courses. The materials shall be offered physically and virtually too in order to cater to the different needs of those affected.

Gov. Lombardo Applauds DETR’s Initiative

In his response, Gov. Joe Lombardo expressed his appreciation of how DETR has worked together with The Mirage proactively and pointed out their joint efforts in ensuring smooth handover processes for outgoing workers. The department is also connecting them with potential employers while at the same time organizing job fair events within Las Vegas Valley together with other companies.

If qualified union and non-union laborers stay until the scheduled closing date for The Mirage, they will get good separation pay that amounts to about $80 million in total. This is meant to help employees financially as they move on with their careers.

The shutdown of The Mirage means the end of an epoch for the famous Las Vegas Strip landmark. it has been instrumental in making this city become a leading luxurious holiday destination. The Mirage, founded by Steve Wynn in 1989, was the first megaresort on the Las Vegas Strip. Its success prompted the development of other properties. The complex boasts over 3,000 luxurious rooms and suites, a vast casino floor, world-class entertainment, diverse dining options, vibrant nightlife, and a tropical pool complex.

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Two 2023 police raids at Mt Lawley and Cloverdale gambling dens helped authorities seize almost $190,000 in cash, along with gambling cards and chips usually found at Monte Carlo casinos.

The two underground locations used for illegal gambling were allegedly run by a number of Crown Casino workers. 

The casino chips and blocks of cash will be destroyed as police efforts continue toward targeting more underground venues. 

$130,000 Seized from Mount Lawley

Last April, police raided a Mount Lawley business where it seized close to $130,000 from an alleged illegal game, along with tens of thousands of dollars worth of casino chips, a baccarat table cover, and gaming cards.

An ex-Crown Perth employee is believed to have allegedly recruited three additional dealers from the same casino and instructed them to run games that would allegedly target members of organized crime or problem gamblers.

All three dealers had their licenses canceled.

$60,000 Seized from Cloverdale Home Raid

At the end of 2023, during a raid on a Cloverdale home, police allegedly discovered 16 players who had been previously banned from the casino plus $60,000. 

The respective home was suspected of allegedly operating a game without a permit or license. 

A 35-year-old man pleaded guilty to money and property laundering.

While gambling activities in charities and clubs are permitted in Western Australia via a permit, police allege the respective operations did not have one.

“Eventually They’ll Pop Back Up”

According to Gaming and Regulation executive director Jennifer Shelton in an interview for 9News, these Australian criminal organizations that are targeting vulnerable individuals “who are then using it for other criminal gains” are currently laying low. 

However, Shelton is confident that “eventually they’ll pop back up either in the same location or same premises.” 

The director added that organizers were interested in targeting Crown Casino employees and recruiting both problem gamblers who are patrons at the facility, as well as dealers.

The vulnerable players are either self-excluded players or individuals who are no strangers to the world of organized crime or who have accumulated “unexplained wealth.”

At the start of the year, Crown Resorts revealed that illegal online gambling websites had been using their intellectual property to deceive consumers.

Police and Gaming Minister Paul Papalia issued a statement regarding the events, saying the tighter supervision, casino monitoring, and organized crime prevention in casinos will get, the more likely we are to see people “try and get around it.”

Gambling is considered a serious public health risk in the context of hundreds of millions being lost to the activity each month. 

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The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) unveiled the launch of the fourth trainer and stable staff survey. The objective is to identify the yard-based issues and help the Industry People Board form a strategy for tackling them.

The survey, commissioned by the Industry People Board, is delivered in partnership with the BHA, the National Trainers Federation (NTF) and the National Association of Racing Staff (NARS). It will see trainers and stable staff contacted by Public Perspectives, an independent research organization. Public Perspectives will provide the survey to trainers and staff across Britain in the following days.

This is notably the fourth time such a survey has been launched, following surveys carried out in 2016, 2018 and 2021.

The Racing Foundation Continues to Invest in the Sector

The BHA added that the study will not only underscore the important issues but will also help the body measure the progress of major initiatives funded by the Racing Foundation. For reference, these initiatives sought to support the recruitment of stable staff, develop the skills of the workforce within the racing sector and encourage greater staff retention.

The BHA also said that the survey is in line with the Racing Foundation’s continued investment in initiatives that seek to drive improvements in the industry’s staff-related matters. Since the first survey in 2016, the foundation has invested over £12 million (approximately $15 million) to address staffing issues.

This latest study will run from November to early January.

The Study Will Help the Industry People Board Form a Strategy

Tansy Challis, the Racing Foundation’s chief executive officer, commented on the matter, saying that her team is happy to once again support the survey. She said that the 2016 survey helped the industry set a baseline from which to measure progress and identify issues.

Unfortunately, the 2021 surveys highlighted ongoing problems within the sector.

We are, therefore, encouraged by the formation of the Industry People Board and its aim to develop a People Strategy.

Tansy Challis, CEO, Racing Foundation

Challis concluded that the data from this year’s study will help the Industry People Board improve its strategy. She hopes that all trainers and stable staff will complete the survey.

Meanwhile, the Industry People Board’s chairman, Neil Hayward, said that the newly-formed body is ambitious on securing a reliable workforce and a working environment the industry can be proud of. While there is much to do, the survey will help his team to make informed decisions and evaluate the impact of current and future initiatives.

We appreciate the time and effort taken by those who respond to the survey. The better the response rate the more detailed a picture we have about what is happening to, and what matters to, the industry’s workforce.

Neil Hayward, chair, Industry People Board

In September, British horseracing authorities launched a probe into the public’s feelings about the controversial affordability checks.

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A series of concerning genetic test results have recently confirmed 11 cases of tuberculosis in Contra Costa County, California. Ten out of the 11 confirmed cases were genetically linked. 

Also, most of the confirmed cases were related to patrons and employees at California Grand Casino in Contra Costa County, California. The eleventh case has not been tested genetically yet.

As a result, Contra Costa Health (CCH) officials have issued a serious warning to the public, urging anyone who has spent time at the casino located on Pacheco Boulevard in the past five years to get tested for tuberculosis. 

So far, CCH has gotten in touch with over 300 individuals who might have been exposed to active tuberculosis. 

The integrated health system that is serving the people of Contra Costa County has also announced that it was collaborating with the casino’s management toward encouraging staff members to get tested and also to offer health education on the matter. 

According to California Grand Casino’s spokesperson, Becky Warren, their “foremost commitment” was to guarantee the well-being of their patrons and staff members. 

Warren also added that, as per the information provided by Contra Costa Health, none of the associated tuberculosis cases were “currently contagious”, and that they also did not involve their personnel. 

The spokesperson announced that the casino was actively working together with county officials to issue notifications and encourage testing to “uphold public health and safety.”

No Ongoing TB Transmission Sources 

While Contra Costa Health has not found any ongoing sources of tuberculosis transmission at the casino’s card room, testing and raising awareness are essential for the safety of the population. 

Health officials emphasize that testing is the only way of knowing if a person who has been exposed to tuberculosis is infected or not. The public should also know that the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium is capable of living inside someone’s body for a few months or even years without showing any symptoms or causing any noticeable health problems. 

It is important to be able to recognize the symptoms of active tuberculosis. These range from weight loss, fever, night sweats, persistent bloody cough, and fatigue.

According to county deputy health officer Dr. Meera Sreenivasan, while tuberculosis is capable of causing serious illness, it is also curable and can be treated with pepper medication, especially when it is caught early.

In January 2022, the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency warned about a similar problem connected to a person diagnosed with tuberculosis who had visited Sycuan Casino in El Cajon, CA the previous year. 

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Last month, the 2018-launched innovative sportsbook supplier that offers state-of-the-art solutions, BETBY, reiterated its plans to expand globally via a newly opened office in Barcelona. 

Now, we learn that BETBY has celebrated its fifth anniversary “by giving back” to its staff members as well as the wider community-based in Riga, Latvia, where the operator is known for having a strong presence. 

“Fitting Way” to Mark the Big Event

According to the company’s chief executive officer, Leonid Pertsovskiy, BETBY has found a “fitting way to mark this occasion” by further advancing its corporate social responsibility with the help of a charity fundraiser directed toward Common Ground. 

Common Ground is a community center in the Latvian capital city that was created a few months ago, in April, with help from Riga’s City Council. Its main goal is to serve as an assistance center for Ukrainian refugees, alongside Russian and Belorussian opposition members, in need of relocating solutions because of the ongoing war.

At the end of May 2023, BETBY announced its plans to launch a fresh Corporate Social Responsibility Project aimed at improving its sustainability ethos, with the Common Ground community center at the core of its plans. 

Pertsovskiy also took the opportunity to express the company’s pride for being able to put people first while emphasizing the importance of having a “talented and dedicated staff” by its side that has helped the business go “from strength to strength” and reach its currently advantageous, high-ranking position. 

Online Talks, Charity Auction, and Trophy for Staff Members 

The sportsbook supplier also organized a charity auction for members of the organization, with prizes ranging from a speedboat trip with chief commercial officer Chris Nikolopoulos as well as a wine-tasting experience with chief operating officer Eva Berkova.

BETBY also celebrated its five-year anniversary by organizing a number of online meetings and talks with staff representatives and executive team members. The list of speakers also included CEO Pertsovskiy, who answered a series of questions regarding the future direction of the company.

Staff members who have been in the company throughout the entire five-year journey were rewarded with a trophy as a means of thanking them for their support and services as well as to reinforce BETBY’s goal of always putting people first.

In August, NuxGame and BETBY announced an important partnership that would allow the former to offer the sportsbook supplier’s leading proprietary sportsbook solutions to its customers.  

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The National Human Trafficking Hotline reports at least 200 cases of human trafficking in the state alone, and there are suspected to be hundreds more than go undetected.

Some of the victims of human trafficking are sent to casinos, which is precisely why the Lincoln Warhorse Casino and its parent company, Ho-Chunk, are going through training to help members of staff spot the signs of human trafficking and act preemptively.

Fighting Human Trafficking Before It Has a Chance to Take Off

Human trafficking cases have been on the up between 2017 and 2021. Now, casinos are taking the matter even more seriously and offering extensive training to their employees so that they can identify and stop the crime.

Commenting on this new initiative, Ho-Chunk director of government affairs Rachael Johnson said that casinos and businesses in general need to be aware of the issue and sober up to the fact that unpleasant as the reality is – this kind of crime may be permeating into local communities.

The initiative has brought together a number of individuals and experts, including Lynnette Grey Bull, founder of Not Our Native Daughter, which is an organization that raises awareness for raising awards about exploited and murdered indigenous women. Bull explained that indigenous women are most susceptible to violent crime and becoming the target of ethnic or violent crime:

I am both Lakota and Northern Arapaho. The statistics that hang over my head is I am the most stalked, raped, murdered, and sexually assaulted out of every woman in this country.

Not Our Native Daughter’s Lynnette Grey Bull

Focus on Protecting the Victims and Stop the Traffickers

Meanwhile, Women’s Center for Advancement president and CEO Jannette Taylor emphasized how important it is to work towards tackling the issue. Human trafficking has a serious impact on people’s lives. It may take up to five years in order to save victims. Yet, proper training could happen.

Taylor is confident that businesses can do their role, and notes that there are certain periods of time when trafficking “spikes:”

In Omaha, we have the College World Series, we have Berkshire Hathaway, we have all these big events where people from all over come to the city. And trafficking during that time, it just sort of sparks.

Women’s Center for Advancement’s Jannette Taylor

Hotels, casinos, gaming venues, and other businesses need to be aware of the problem and seek to resolve it by offering continuous training to their staff and monitoring for the early symptoms of the issue as well.

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