Mississippi: Ameristar Casino to permanently lay off 150 employees

The Mississippi Gaming Commission ordered all of the state’s casinos to close in mid-March to comply with efforts to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

Gambling facilities were allowed to resume operations last month with social distancing guidelines in place that reduced capacity and the number of players allowed at gaming tables and slot machines, among other limitations, news outlets said.

As gambling facilities begin reopening in the state, the Ameristar Casino, a riverfront casino in Mississippi, announced plans to permanently lay off 150 workers.

We are open and we look forward to welcoming you back safely. For more information, please visit our website at https://t.co/5kK3V9Vl8G#welcomeback pic.twitter.com/Wih3LuVPwQ

— Ameristar Vicksburg (@AmeristarVI) June 15, 2020

General Manager Gerad Hardy said the interruptions have caused a decline in business volumes, and called the layoffs an “unfortunate result” of circumstances brought on by the pandemic, The Vicksburg Post reported.

"We could not have anticipated when our properties would be allowed to reopen and how restrictive the new operating conditions would be, and the negative impact this would have on business volumes," Hardy said.