Meadows expects to hire at least 600

By Michael Bradwell
Observer-Reporter

MEADOW LANDS - The Meadows Racetrack & Casino should have about 65 table games to add to its slot machines within six months, its general manager said Thursday.

But the North Strabane Township entertainment venue has a lot of work cut out for it, not the least of which will involve hiring between 600 and 700 additional employees.

Sean Sullivan, who outlined the casino's plans for adding table games for reporters a day after legislation was passed in Harrisburg, said work will start Monday toward introducing games such as poker, blackjack, craps and roulette within the next five to six months.

He cautioned, however, that work couldn't begin until Gov. Ed Rendell signed the bill, which he did on Thursday afternoon.

"As soon as the governor puts pen to paper, we're going to start moving things around," said Sullivan as he stood in an area on the main floor between the casino's main entrance and Pacers bar.

According to Sullivan, the area will be the future site of a football field-size dealers' pit surrounded by 42 popular table games. The placement of the pit will require moving about one-third of the 3,900 slot machines to other areas of the main floor, he said.

Poker will receive its own, 9,000-square-foot room downstairs at the trackside level with 26 tables, each with seating for 10 to 12 players.

The addition of the games won't require any physical expansion of the 350,000-square-foot casino, which opened in mid-April.

"The building's footprint doesn't expand; it was built to accommodate table games" said Sullivan, who said The Meadows will spend about $5 million to purchase the games and make the changes related to adding them to the mix.

Sullivan said the actual starting date for casinos to offer table games will be established by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

Regardless of when it is, Sullivan said The Meadows wants to be ready.

"If they say June 1, then I want to be ready June 1," he said.

The other big challenge will involve hiring additional staff, including some 400 dealers, as well as additional servers and security. The casino currently has about 1,300 workers.

According to Sullivan, dealer training requires about 14 weeks.

He said people interested in applying should watch The Meadows Web site for information about job fairs. Solicitation for applications should begin in about 10 days.

While the work will be hectic over the next several months, Sullivan said the casino's ownership was happy with the outcome of the legislation, noting that it will pay a $16.5 million licensing fee for adding the games. According to the legislation, table games will be taxed at 16 percent of gross revenue, with 2 percentage points going to local counties and municipalities. At the end of the second year, the gross tax rate will drop to 14 percent.

Despite the fees and revenue taxation, Sullivan views the addition of table games as a game-changer for The Meadows, which already is one of the state's most successful casinos since slots were legalized in 2006.

"It's going to be a tremendous increase in our foot traffic," he said, adding that table games will bring in a younger player, somewhere in the 25 to 40 age range. That's a new demographic to add to slots players, who tend to be older.

The other benefit of being able to add the games at The Meadows, Sullivan said, is that it levels the playing field between the local casino and those just over the border in West Virginia, where table games have been legal for more than a year.

"West Virginia is nervous, and they should be," he said. "When we go over there, we see a whole lot of Pennsylvania license plates." He said many people from the area have told him they're anxious for table games to be offered here so they won't have to drive as far to play them.

But for now, Sullivan and his staff will be focused on what they have to do to bring the games here.

"Starting Jan. 11, there's no turning back. We're going full steam ahead."

Copyright Observer Publishing Co.