Page 8 - Mississippi/Louisiana Gaming News - Winter, 2023

Vicksburg casinos set the pace for inclusivity
By Lori Beth Susman
VICKSBURG — A new research report by the American Gaming Association (AGA) finds that the gaming industry workforce is more diverse than U.S.
and hospitality benchmarks, boasting a diverse executive pipeline, while identifying room for improvement on gender representation.
The study finds that 61% of gaming industry employees are minorities compared to 52% of the broader hospitality industry and 42% of the
total U.S. workforce. Also revealed is that 60% of operator employees are minorities, up nearly 20% from 2011 and higher than other sectors. The gaming industry has a well-earned reputation for promoting from within and this is borne out in the study,
which shows that the gaming industry’s leadership pipeline is substantially more diverse than national averages at first/ mid-level manager and professional levels. Forty-five percent of first/mid- level managers are minorities while 43% of professionals are minorities, both 10 to 12 points above national and hospitality benchmarks.
In Mississippi, one can find a city in the gaming industry where a majority of casino general managers are women.
In Vicksburg, three of the four casinos have women at the top, with the fourth headed by a Black man. Penny Bankston is vice president/general manager of WaterView Casino Hotel; Maureen Wasloski is vice president/general manager of Ameristar Casino Hotel; and Cathy Beeding is general manager of Riverwalk Casino Hotel. Derrius Morris is vice president/general manager of Bally’s Vicksburg, and is an example of the industry’s racial diversity.
“Gaming industry employees reflect the communities and customers we serve, and our research found that
the gaming workforce is remarkably diverse compared to the general U.S. workforce. While we continue to deepen our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, communities like Vicksburg demonstrate the progress we’ve made and unique opportunities available
within our dynamic industry,” said Cait DeBaun, AGA vice president.
The four Vicksburg GMs have much
in common. For one thing, they all started their gaming careers in either Mississippi or Louisiana. In fact, Bankston opened Harrah’s Casino Vicksburg in 1993, and Morris started his career in 2002, also at Harrah’s Vicksburg. Wasloski began her gaming career in 1997 in Bossier City, Louisiana, and Beeding’s
but the fact is that individuality and differences — be it gender differences or racial diversity — can make workplaces ground zero for innovative ideas and
the real challenge today is to create a space where ideas — regardless of the source or what the source looks like — are allowed to be voiced and respectfully
first gaming position was in Gulfport in 2000.
Their career paths differed: for Bankston it was the casino floor, for Wasloski it was human resources, for Morris
it was security and for Beeding, general counsel. There were twists and turns throughout their journeys, but in 2022,
all were together in Vicksburg at the helm of their properties.
The four property heads in Vicksburg — Cathy Beeding, Derrius Morris, Penny Bankston and Maureen Wasloski — show the gaming industry is a leader in inclusion and diversity.
MGN talked with the
four gaming executives
about diversity and
inclusion. Starting first with Bankston, Beeding and Wasloski, we asked if they were ever treated differently because of their gender.
given the airtime they merit.”
Bankston said she hasn’t been treated
differently, explaining, “I have been respected based on my merits, work ethic and how I treat others. I think people will treat you the way you conduct yourself and for me it’s been a positive experience. I don’t look at it as a man or woman — just who can do the best job in that position.”
MGN: Is it surprising to you that Vicksburg, Mississippi, is recognized as one of the most diverse gaming cities at the property leadership level?
BANKSTON: Not at all. This industry has opportunities for people from a variety of backgrounds, and it’s not
at all unusual in gaming to grow your own leadership in-house. It’s one of my favorite things about working the casino world.
MORRIS: The diversity in leadership in the Vicksburg market and the Mississippi market doesn’t surprise me... The importance of having representation
in the workplace that resembles the community and workforce they serve at each level of the company fosters the development of future generations of leaders and gives entry-level employees
8MISSISSIPPI GAMING NEWS SUMMER 2023
“While this kind of treatment is not acceptable, it is unfortunately still a reality in workplaces,” Wasloski said. “However, there are steps that women can take to assert themselves and overcome these biases. This may include seeking out mentors and advocates who can support them, being assertive and advocating for themselves, and seeking out opportunities for professional development and growth.”
She added it is important for companies and organizations to actively promote diversity and inclusion, and
to work to create a culture where all employees are treated fairly and with respect. “This can include things like offering unconscious bias training, setting clear policies around diversity and inclusion, and creating opportunities for employees to provide feedback and raise concerns.”
Beeding said there have been notable moments of being treated differently, but added, “I think most leaders strive to be a part of and to create meritocracies with foundations in egalitarianism,