Maryland casino eyes soon-to-be-fired A.C. workers

ATLANTIC CITY - A Maryland casino is looking to hire some of the soon-to-be-jobless Atlantic City casino workers.

Maryland Live! is holding job fairs next week at the Sheraton hotel across from the Atlantic City Convention Center.

The Hanover, Md., casino held a similar recruitment effort in January when the Atlantic Club shut down. Spokeswoman Carmen Gonzalez said the company hired 50 Atlantic City workers then, and hoped to at least match that total.

"Atlantic City has proven to be an excellent source of qualified candidates for us," said Howard Weinstein, the casino's senior vice president. "The workforce provides a pool of experienced talent for available positions across all departments."

With the impending closings of Showboat Atlantic City on Aug. 31 and Trump Plaza on Sept. 16, and the possible shutdown of Revel if a buyer is not found at a bankruptcy court auction next month, as many as 8,000 Atlantic City casino workers could be without work by the end of the summer.

The job fair will be held Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and next Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the hotel's Pearl Ballroom.

Recruiters and hiring managers from Maryland Live! will interview candidates for full- and part-time jobs in all departments, including casino operations, food and beverage, marketing, finance, and security. On-the-spot job offers will be made to some applicants, the company said.

The casino is at the Arundel Mills Mall, halfway between Baltimore and Washington.

Atlantic City's recent tough times have been well documented. Facing competition in Pennsylvania, New York, and elsewhere, the Shore resort's gaming revenue fell from $5.2 billion in 2006 to $2.9 billion last year.

The city stands to lose about a third of its property-tax revenue - about $75 million - if all four casinos go dark.

On Wednesday, citing "ongoing casino revenue declines, expected near-term casino closures, and the impact of sizable casino tax appeals," Moody's Investors Service downgraded Atlantic City's debt to junk-bond status. The debt rating makes it more expensive for the city to borrow money.