Rush Street Gaming has hired former Las Vegas casino executive Rick Richards as the new general manager of Rivers Casino Schenectady. Richards received approval from the New York State Gaming Commission prior to his appointment and was instated into the role immediately.
Vice president of gaming operations Jeff Cutri will return to his usual role with Richards being hired as GM. Cutri had been filling in as the Rivers Casino Schenectady general manager since Justin Moore left the position in April to become GM of Rivers Philadelphia.
Rick Richards Brings Over 40 Years of Experience to the Position
Rick Richards has been involved in the casino industry for over 40 years. He has worked in multiple roles on the casino floor including as a pit manager and shift manager. The industry veteran gained experience at many locations around Las Vegas including Caesars Palace and Bally’s Hotel & Casino.
Richards is the former general manager and vice president of the Station Casinos in Nevada. Rush Street Gaming CEO Greg Carlin commented on how Richards’ casino experience at all levels made him a great fit for the job in the company’s press release:
“We’re excited to welcome Rick to the Rush Street family. He’s learned the casino and hotel business from the ground up with particular expertise around guest experience, team building, and performance; all of which are key areas of alignment and strength for Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady.”
Rick Richards will be the fourth general manager to oversee operations at Rivers Casino Schenectady since its doors opened in 2017.
Rivers Casino Schenectady Committed to a Strong Workplace Environment
Rivers Casino Schenectady was in the news earlier this month for earning a reward for workplace quality. The Times-Union newspaper in Albany recognized the casino among its top workplaces in the region for the fourth consecutive year.
The Top Workplace award is determined by ratings that employees give to their employers based on a variety of attributes. Rivers earned props for employee perks that include community service opportunities and tuition reimbursement.
Rick Richards will be tasked with upholding this quality of workplace environment. The challenge comes as businesses ramp back up from 2020’s COVID-19 related lockdowns. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been easing up on COVID-19 capacity restrictions in recent months and should continue to do so as the state continues to trend in the right direction with more vaccinations and less infections.
Note: New York does not currently allow online casino gambling. However, that might change going forward as legislators contemplate adding popular games such as NY online blackjack and NY online roulette to their gambling mix to help bump up state revenues.