At the Lake: South Shore casinos to battle Red Hawk

Red Hawk Casino on the Shingle Springs Rancheria has officially begun hiring for 1,750 jobs - the most available by any private employer in El Dorado County.

Some 150 applicants walked into the casino's employment center in El Dorado Hills last week; another 3,500 completed job applications online. Casino General Manager Peter Fordham said they expect 15,000 to 20,000 applications before the casino opens late this year.

The hirings have South Shore casinos readying themselves for the grand opening and its effect on the area's economy.

Faced with the opening of Red Hawk Casino, combined with the slow economy and rising gas prices, Horizon Casino Resort is working hard to keep its employees and customers, according to marketing manager Tom Davis.

"It's about getting creative and finding the value that the customer wants," Davis said.

Davis said the Horizon will have $500 gas giveaways every day in August. He's working on a partnership with Fox Gasoline to have drawings for $100 gas cards.

Lakeside Inn and Casino constantly is evolving to serve its guests, said marketing manager Pam Wheeler. The casino has a new restaurant, Latin Soul, which was part of $1.5 million in renovations.

John Packer, spokesman for Harrah's and Harveys Lake Tahoe, said their marketing department is working on strategies to attract visitors once the Red Hawk Casino opens.

"We're not sitting on our hands here," Packer said.

Packer doesn't think Red Hawk's grand opening late this year will immediately influence Lake Tahoe visitors, because it will be during ski season, which draws people to the area. The South Shore also can offer a selection of entertainment in its many casino showrooms, he said.

Addressing needs of the employees

Visitors aren't the only thing South Shore casinos want to keep - they want to make sure their employees stay, too.

"We want to keep what we've got," said Horizon's Davis. "We've got good employees."

Over at Lakeside, Wheeler said: "The most important thing is to have a personal relationship with your staff and listen to their needs."

Packer said he hasn't noticed Harrah's/Harveys employees applying for jobs at Red Hawk Casino and doesn't expect to.

"Someone would have to move, and I doubt if a person living up here would," Packer said.

When Bodine's casino opened in Carson City, Packer said some employees left to work there because they lived in that area.

"They didn't have to pick up their families and leave," he said.

Wheeler also thought current Lakeside employees would want to remain at Lake Tahoe.

Besides offering employees comprehensive health benefits, Packer said Harrah's and Harveys started a Health and Wellness Center two years ago. Full-time employees pay $10 per visit and part-time employees $20 per visit.

New casino is 'progressing well'

Red Hawk Casino will offer a wide range of job opportunities.

The casino will house six restaurants, four bars, children's and teens' areas, and a gaming floor with 75 table games, at least 2,000 slot machines and a high-limits room within the 273,000-square-foot facility.

The food and beverage area is the biggest hiring category, followed by table games and environmental services, according to Fordham, the general manager. There are 325 job categories, and applications are accepted online.

The casino gives hiring preferences to members of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians and to El Dorado County residents, Fordham said.

Red Hawk will train its own dealers in August at a special school set up on-site. Fordham said he anticipates that about half the dealers hired will be inexperienced.

Others will be trained at the casino, which Fordham said is 80 percent complete.

"It is progressing very well," he said. "We're very pleased with the progress so far."

Construction began on the Red Hawk Casino and Highway 50 interchange in April 2007, seven months after the tribe and El Dorado County Board of Supervisors ended years of litigation with a settlement agreement that requires the tribe to pay the county about $200 million over a 20-year period for law enforcement, social services, road improvements and other programs needed to offset the casino's effect on the community.

The tribe also recently renegotiated its compact with the state allowing a maximum of 5,000 slot machines at Red Hawk Casino.

Future plans for the casino include a hotel and entertainment venue.

For more information about Red Hawk Casino, visit www.redhawkcasino.com.