Diversity Takes Major Step Backwards in Atlantic City with No Women in Senior roles

The diverse nature of Atlantic City’s local gaming chiefs has changed significantly over the last two years. In September 2020, the landmark casino strip boasted four females at the helm of its nine bricks-and-mortar gambling establishments, in just twenty-four short months all of these individuals have left their posts.

Jacqueline Grace, one of the two black females within this group of four influential leaders, resigned from her position as Senior VP and General Manager of the Caesar Entertainment-owned Tropicana casino in July. On Tuesday, the Las Vegas-based gaming giant announced her role has been backfilled by Joe Giunta, an experienced senior executive with twenty years company service under his belt.

Grace’s replacement is characteristic of the recruitment pattern currently circulating New Jersey’s gambling epicentre. The four boardroom seats previously occupied by the aforementioned group of females; have now all been assumed by white males. Some may suggest this development is pure coincidence. However, many have expressed concern that this demonstrates a movement away from the diversity & inclusion agenda, and a step back towards the sub-conscious bias of previous times. This theory is further strengthened by the ambiguous circumstances that enveloped the exits of Terry Glebocki and Karie Hall, the two female former heads of Ocean Casino Resort and Bally’s Atlantic City property respectively.

Glebocki’s resignation poignantly coincided with the Ilitch family’s acquisition of half of Ocean Casino’s assets last October. Some may point to the owner of the Ilitch Holdings empire, Marian Ilitch, as proof that the motivation for Glebocki’s departure had nothing to do with her gender. Nevertheless, the refusal of any spokesperson from the downtown resort to comment on the matter does throw up an unavoidable red flag. Karie Hall left in similar fashion, but Bally’s were perhaps a little more open about their intention to replace Hall with another candidate.

Although there are is no official available data to track the number of females operating within the leadership corridors of the U.S gambling marketplace, it’s believed Atlantic City has historically been the pinnacle for harnessing talent from both females and other typically under-represented communities.

When it comes to diversity and inclusion, it now rather feels that the United States’ second favourite casino hotspot is back to square one.