Caesars Virginia in Danville is recruiting gaming industry professionals who are searching for a new career opportunity. The casino under construction is also providing training for fresh employees, as long as they possess an enthusiastic attitude and a commitment to offer outstanding service to visitors.
Caesars Virginia representatives are hosting a job fair in Danville on March 11, 2023 in preparation for the forthcoming resort opening its temporary casino in July 2022. (Image: NBC News 10 )
Caesars Virginia is one of three casino resorts being developed in Virginia. Rivers Casino Portsmouth was the first permanent casino to open in January in the state.
Danville was one of five cities approved to consider a casino development through the state’s 2020 commercial gambling bill. After the Danville City Council selected Caesars Entertainment after a competitive bidding process, Danville voters cast their ballots in favor of the company’s $650 million proposal, with almost 69% of the vote indicating their support.
Caesars is restoring the 85-acre former Dan River Mills textile facility, which had been the economic anchor of the region until the 1970s. Caesars Virginia aims to reinvent the property to permit it to once again be a major source of income for many Danville residents.
But for Caesars Virginia to become a premier destination in the US regional gaming industry — the sector generally referring to casinos outside of Las Vegas and Atlantic City — the property requires an ample workforce. And that’s been tougher than Caesars officials anticipated.
Hiring Challenges
Caesars Virginia isn’t anticipated to open until 2024, but Virginia’s gaming law allows for permitted casinos to open a temporary gaming space during construction. Hard Rock Bristol was the first provisional casino to open in July 2022.
Caesars Virginia is preparing its provisional casino for this July, which will function inside a large canopy event tent. The temporary casino will offer 700 slot machines and 25 table games. Executives say they must hire around 400 employees to properly operate the provisional casino, but signing up new personnel has been difficult.
“We’re basically hiring for every position,” Chris Albrecht, general manager of Caesars Virginia, told NBC 10 News this week.
Openings include slot operations, facilities maintenance, money counters, surveillance agents, cooks, bartenders, cocktail servers, table dealers, cashiers, security officers, and marketing managers.
Even those with no prior experience working in a casino are encouraged to apply.
“We’re looking for individuals who have an optimistic, positive attitude, a great character, and want to work around people,” Albrecht stated. “We’ll teach them the skills they need to have for the jobs.”
Job Openings to Continue
Caesars Virginia’s permanent property will require many more employees. The permanent casino will include more than 1,300 slots, 85 live dealer table games, 24 electronic table games, a World Series of Poker room, and a Caesars Sportsbook.
The on-site hotel will feature 500 guestrooms. A full-service spa, indoor pool, 2,500-seat concert venue, and 40,000 square feet of convention space are also in the works.
Caesars Virginia states it’ll need approximately 1,300 full-time employees to manage the permanent resort.
The most recent employment data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that there should be enough job seekers in the area to meet Caesars’ hiring goals. Danville reported a 5% unemployment rate in January, significantly higher than the 3.4% national average that month.
Danville is home to roughly 42,200 adult residents, indicating more than 2,100 were reportedly unemployed in January. Caesars is also targeting job seekers in nearby Greensboro and Durham, N.C.
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