Sep 29, 2020 3 min read

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has unveiled its 13th annual Diversity Report for the 12 licensed casinos it oversees, including The Meadows Racetrack & Casino in North Strabane Township.

“Diversity and inclusiveness have remained at the forefront of the PGCB’s persistence and mission,” the board said in releasing the report Friday morning.

It covers fiscal year 2019-20 – July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020. Employee numbers and site operations have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, which forced all casinos to shut down in March and remain closed until June. The three-month shutdown also halted construction at the non-operational casino sites.

COVID-19 restrictions led to the furloughs of nearly 5,600 casino employees and layoffs of about 900 – 40% of the casinos’ pre-pandemic workforce.

PGCB broke down figures for each of the gaming locations by gender and race. Statewide, 92% of the workforce resided in Pennsylvania, about 43% were female and 36% were racial minorities. Of the 1,614 individuals in the Executive/Management/ Professional Staff category, 36% were female and 21% were racial minorities.

As of June 30, the licensed casinos/resorts employed a total of 9,883.

The Meadows, which added its casino on June 11, 2007, had 606 employees during the fiscal year. Of that number, 551 (91%) resided in the Keystone State. Of the 97 listed as Executive/Management/ Professional Staff, 60% were male, 40% were female and 8% were minorities.

The racial breakdown there for FY 2019-20 was 91% Caucasian, 4% African American, 2% Hispanic, 2% Asian and 1% other. Figures in each category were comparable with those of the previous three fiscal years.

PGCB reported that 358 employees were male and 248 were female during the time frame. The percentage of female employees (40.1%) was down from the mid-40s each of the three previous years.

The Meadows made $99,580 in charitable donations/community outreach in FY 2019-20, according to the report. That was nearly 2 1/2 times greater than the $40,724 reported the previous fiscal year.

Eric Schippers Sr., an official with Penn National Gaming Inc., parent of The Meadows, weighed in on the report. Schippers, vice president of Public Affairs & Government Relations, said in a prepared statement:

“Penn National is proud to operate in diverse communities throughout America. We stand united against hate, racism, violence and intolerance of any sort, and salute all the peaceful warriors and protesters on the front lines of social injustice making their voices heard.

“Penn National has a strong track record of supporting local nonprofits and community organizations, which provide assistance to under-represented and disadvantaged individuals, through property-level charitable donations and the Penn National Gaming Foundation.”

Rivers Casino Pittsburgh had 798 males and 509 females on the payroll in 2019-20, down from 1,077 and 702 the previous fiscal year. The report said 67% were Caucasian, 16% Asian, 12% African American, 2% Hispanic and 3% other.

For the first time in four fiscal years, male employees (462) outnumbered females (425) at Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin. The racial breakdown at the facility in Wharton Township, Fayette County, was 85% Caucasian, 6% Hispanic, 5% African American, 1% Asian and 2% other.