Casino & Resort rebounding after dark stretch

SCHENECTADY — Rivers Casino & Resort is bouncing back from the pandemic.

Like the food and beverage, hospitality and travel sectors, Rivers Casino & Resort at Schenectady’s Mohawk Harbor was among the U.S. industries hardest-hit by the state’s shutdown orders last spring.

Rivers instantly furloughed 1,000 employees last March, numbers that hardened into layoffs later that summer. Other area casinos, like the Saratoga Casino in Saratoga Springs and Turning Stone Casino in central New York, have also felt the effect from restrictions during the the initial 18 months.

Despite the sectors gradually reopening with occupancy limits in New York state, the casino industry wasn’t authorized to reboot until September.  Recovery has come in fits and starts, with the waterfront casino continuing to roll out gaming operations, most recently, their poker room, which was the last of their table games to fall into place. 

All in-house restaurants are now open as well as the Landing Hotel at Rivers Casino & Resort.

Rivers does not release revenue numbers as per standard industry practice, yet officials said they’re feeling optimistic.

“We’ve been able to hold our own since reopening,” said Rick Richards, general manager, who himself is getting settled after taking the reins on June 11.

Yet hours remain throttled due to workforce issues, with workers slow to trickle back after their hiatus. 

“We’ve been saying we’re maybe 30 days away from going 24 hours,” Richards said. “As staffing levels permit, we’ll go back to 24 hours at some point.”

At present, the venue is closed daily between 2 and 8 a.m.

In the meantime, casino officials hope a packed event schedule will lure in guests alongside gaming options, which include standard slot machines, Rivers Sportsbook (the state’s first legal sports betting destination) as well as table games - including roulette and craps - and video poker.

Officials are buoyed at concert and event turnouts. “Cage Wars,” the mixed martial arts competition, which returned to the venue in early September, was sold-out, indicating that guests are chomping at the bit for a return to normalcy, Richards said.

Upcoming concerts include a night with 1980s glam rockers Great White, Slaughter and King Winger, on Oct. 30, and the Family Stone, an outfit featuring a founding member of the funk and soul icons Sly and the Family Stone, on Nov. 5.

“We see that when people were cooped up during COVID, they wanted to get out to some live music as opposed to listening to the radio,” Richards said. “It’s been a big hit since we’ve brought those back.”

Richards said the Landing Hotel is “doing well” from an occupancy standpoint and officials hope numbers will continue to climb.

“We’re not quite at the level where we were before COVID, but things seem to be coming back on track,” Richards said.

Rivers Casino employed roughly 1,100 people before the pandemic. At present, they’re up to 860 staffers, with over 100 positions posted.

“If we get the volume levels, I’m sure we’ll get back to the appropriate staff,” Richards said.

Rivers Casino & Resort, whose parent company is the Chicago-based Rush Street Gaming, has rolled out numerous incentives to attract employees, including putting recruits through dealer school. 

“It’s a nice little value,” Richards said. “We can teach you a professional and give you a job right after”

Rivers Casino continues to adhere to stringent sanitation safeguards, including internal air purification systems and constant sanitation.

Guests are required to wear a mask if not fully vaccinated.