Layoffs Leave Atlantic City Gambling Service Workers Unregistered

New Jersey regulators say 16,500 people will lose their registration to work in the casino service industry next Tuesday, unless they can prove they've worked in a casino within the last three years.

Thousands of casino gambling service employees will find their names removed from New Jersey's list of registered workers next week. While many in the number have changed field, the recession has also caused a great number their jobs, leaving them perilously close to being taken from the survey of people able to work legally at Atlantic City casinos.

The list covers casino employees who have jobs in areas not related to gaming, such as bartenders, maintenance workers, and waitresses. Under old regulations, registration was permanent, but changes in the state Casino Control Act now require active employment in the industry over the last three years.

"By eliminating more than half of the people in our casino service industry database, we can redirect regulatory resources and focus on the people who are actually working in our casino hotels," Linda Kassekert, chairman of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission said in a statement.. As many as 16,500 names will be dtruck on Tuesday.

Kassekert said the commission's database will automatically purge the rolls each month of those inactive three or more years.

Workers promoted to jobs within the gaming industry but outside the service department will retain registration, but unemployed workers will have three years to get back inside a casino business, or lose the registration.