The Labour Ministry last week shut down an attempt by Princess Casino Guyana Inc. to recruit only Latin nationals to be table dealers.
Princess Casino Guyana had placed an ad in the Stabroek News of July 13, 2022, in which it advertised for table game dealers and indicated that applicants should be “Latinos” between the ages of 19 and 25.
Table games dealers are required to shuffle and deal cards, hand out cash chips, play house hands, determine table winners, and interact with customers.
The advertisement, with details in both English and Spanish, stated that no casino experience was necessary, since training would be provided. Applicants, according to the ad, only had to be able to speak basic English.
Two days after the publication, Princess Casino published a new ad that did not target a specific nationality. It said successful applicants should be innovative and vibrant individuals.
When contacted, Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton told Stabroek News that the Chief Labour Officer Dhaneshwar Deonarine made a call to the Princess Casino’s management when the discriminatory advertisement was brought to the attention of the Ministry.
According to Hamilton, Princess Casino was told that the advertisement was discriminatory and against the Labour Laws of Guyana. He said the Ministry ordered the company to pull the ad and they did.
Asked what the Ministry would do to ensure that companies do not practice discriminatory hiring, Hamilton said that it was the first time the ministry had to deal with such an incident, but added that it will publish a notice to warn companies about such practices.
Stabroek News was unable to get a comment from Princess Casino, which said its General Manager was not available.
