bigplayer: Silverstar/Golden Moon Layoffs

[bigplayer]

Silverstar/Golden Moon laying off many dealers citing a decrease in high end table game play. This is no doubt the result of them lowerimg the maxes on their games from $5K to $500 and keeping most tables closed. Simultaneously they also got much tougher on comps. They have also said they want more mid-rollers who bet $25-$50 minimum.

Here is a letter to the editor to the Meridian paper the other day.


Behind the casino layoffs

I am writing to comment on the news article about the layoffs at the Silver Star and Golden Moon casinos. I have been an employee there for five years and I have never seen this type of mass firing. We were given a new boss. His name is Mario A. DiGuiseppe. Ever since he came in, he has downtalked the employees and has been gunning for everyone?s job. We have held meetings by him where he has made fun of Southerners and rednecks, and questioned the intelligence of the most dependable employees.

The firings started on Saturday and continued until Monday. So far, all of the people who were terminated by their ?at will? policy were employees who have been there since day one. They got rid of all of the pit bosses, then started on the floor supervisors and last on the dealers. But instead of doing the layoff like most companies, starting from the bottom, they started firing from the top to the bottom.

Everyone who was fired was the best and the most dependable employees they had. We have worked weekends, every major holiday and put all of our time in to move up. But instead, we are all being fired for actually knowing our job and having the most seniority and dependability.

I just think that this is an outrage and that someone should look into why they are getting rid of their best employees. We are all being punished for doing a good job. Could you please tell me, where is the fairness in all of this, and what is actually going on, because none of this is right.

Penny Jamison

Philadelphia

[Sentry]

I was there yesterday and was curious what was going on. Closed BJ tables everywhere, and what few were open were packed. Golden Moon's weekly Blackjack tournament is cancelled for the rest of April, and they are rearranging the floor to wheel more slot machines in. At Silver Star, the table where I played had a break-in dealer, and the pit supervisor was a joe they had pulled off the craps tables. After reading Bigplayer's post, I searched for news on the Meridian Star news site (www.meridianstar.com) and found this:

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Pearl River Resort lays off 87

April 5, 2004

from staff reports

CHOCTAW ? Pearl River Resort has laid off 87 employees, reflecting decreased customer demand for the table games it operates at the Silver Star and Golden Moon casinos, company president Jay Dorris said today.

Dorris said the decision to reduce the number of table games resulted in the layoffs, which began over the weekend. The number of table games at the Silver Star and Golden Moon will be reduced to 85 from 127.

Dorris said monitoring of the casinos? business showed stronger demand for slot play than table games and more slot machines will be installed, most of them going to the Golden Moon.

?We continuously monitor our business and seek ways to offer the games our guests most want to play,? he said. ?For some time now, demand has been much stronger for slot play. Table play is important to us but at this time we do not have the level of demand for the number of table games that we currently offer.

?This is a difficult decision because it also means that we do not need as many table game staff as we currently have. We thank the employees who we have let go for their service to our organization. They will be given priority consideration for other positions at Pearl River Resort as they become available,? Dorris said.

Total resort employment will remain at more than 3,500.

Pearl River Resort is a development of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
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Things really sound bad. Of the few tables I found open, several had CSMs. The new management may not last, but the damage he's causing to the games may be permament.

Sentry

[Ouchez]