MAVERICK GAMING
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Maverick Gaming is the owner and operator of 22 cardrooms in Washington State and a handful of other properties in Nevada and Colorado. We hope to establish and re-imagine what cardrooms can be as a neighborhood entertainment option, employer, and community partner.
As we continue to expand our investment in Washington, we are committed to being good neighbors and members of the community.
Learn more about Maverick Gaming by downloading our fact sheet here:
MAVERICK’S COMMITMENTS TO WASHINGTON
Leadership in Responsible Gaming
“Self-exclusion” gives problem gamblers the opportunity to identify themselves and avoid risking their wallets and their well-being. As of June 2021, the Washington State Gambling Commission requires establishment of a self-exclusion policy across all gaming properties in Washington.
Over a year before it was required, as a part of its core responsible gaming philosophy, Maverick Gaming was the first in the state to implement and activate a centralized self-exclusion system statewide, barring problem gamblers from all of our card rooms. We are happy to provide a safe place for the 97% of people who can place bets responsibly and for fun. For those who cannot, centralized self-exclusion will help us to prohibit self-harm while gambling in our facilities.
Supporting Community Programs on Problem Gaming
At Maverick Gaming, our purpose is to provide a fun, safe entertainment choice for our customers, the vast majority of which enjoy gaming responsibly. For those who cannot, our approach is to provide support for programs and policies that help ensure those who struggle with problem gambling have access to the help they need.
In 2021, Maverick Gaming contributed thousands to the Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling (2020 contribution was $194,381). The Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization committed to providing services and programs for problem gamblers, their families, employers, students, treatment professionals, and the greater community through gambling addiction treatment support, information and education, advocacy, research, and prevention efforts. Maverick Gaming’s contribution to the Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling is funded by setting aside a portion of bets placed in house-banked card-games.
Good-Paying Jobs
As we continue to expand our investment in Washington, we know that our employees are the heart of our business and on the front lines of providing a first-class experience to our guests. Part of being good neighbors and members of the community is being a good employer. We are confident enough in our commitment to our employees that we’ve worked with local labor organizations to ensure we’re working together on sustainable, family wage jobs.
In December of 2019, more than 1,700 card room workers employed by Maverick Gaming chose to become members of Teamsters Local 117, authorized as the workers’ exclusive bargaining representative through a card check process conducted by an independent arbitrator.
As noted by Teamsters 117 in MAVERICK GAMING INDUSTRY WORKERS CHOOSE TEAMSTERS LOCAL 117, “Maverick provides an excellent example of how a company should conduct itself during a union organizing drive…While some employers fire workers or aggressively spread anti-union propaganda, Maverick trusted its workers to decide for themselves whether they wanted to join the union.”
Community
Maverick Gaming wants to participate as a good corporate citizen and a good neighbor. We want to redefine what a casino is for our guests, providing a local neighborhood option where you can come together with friends after work or to watch the game.
Maverick Gaming is a proud partner with, and member of, local organizations across Washington.
Local Businesses:
ABS Business Data
FabiCash
Galaxy Gaming
Small Threads
Milkvue
Harts Services
Eagle Harbor Winery Company
Eleven Winery
Strawberry Lane
Cougar Mountain Zoo
Point Defiance Zoo
Acroppolis Pizza
Lynwood Bowl & Skate
Pump It Up – Kirkland
Sykart Racing
The Jungle Gym
Waterland Arcade
Museum of Flight
Blue Mountain Theatre
Yakima Family Fun Center
Go Bowl Pasco
Yakult USA
MoPop
The Young Guy Podcast
Western Bay Software
Royal Gamut Properties
Strategy9
Cascade Government Affairs
Chambers of Commerce:
Bellevue Chamber of Commerce
Edmonds Chamber of Commerce
Greater Renton Chamber of Commerce
Kirkland Chamber of Commerce
Lakewood Chamber of Commerce
Tri City Regional Chamber of Commerce
Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce
Mill Creek Chamber of Commerce
Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce
Greater Pasco Area Chamber of Commerce
The Greater Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce
FAQ
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At Maverick Gaming cardrooms you can expect clean, bright, safe facilities where you can have a drink and a bite to eat while you have a fun time. We try to take care of our employees, so they are happy in their jobs, and thus providing great service to our guests. And because we are committed to being part of our communities, we hope you’ll feel at home.
Co-founder and majority owner Eric Persson was raised in Hoquiam, Washington. His lifelong passion for gaming and his decades in the industry have come full circle with Maverick Gaming’s growth and investment here in Eric’s home state.
Maverick Gaming is a company, but it also represents a lifelong dream come to life. We hope to establish a presence in Washington to be proud of, that has a legacy fitting of our families and for the people on our team who want to be a part of offering another option for gambling and entertainment in Washington. No one takes more pride in their work or cares more about their guest experience than we do.
Washington’s tribal casinos are beautiful properties that are frequently destination resorts that offer a great experience. Maverick offers an experience that is smaller and more neighborly. Our guests can park 20 feet from the door, meet co-workers for happy hour, and have a more intimate, social experience. We are another option for people to come together that is also committed to participating as a member of the local community who knows you and what is going on in the neighborhood. As required by federal law, Washington’s tribal casinos are exclusively operated on tribal Lands following agreed-upon compacts negotiated directly between tribal and state governments. Cardrooms are non-tribal gaming options and are licensed and regulated by state government following an extensive criminal background check and other due diligence regulations before approving prospective operators.
Under current law, sports wagering is legal for Washington Tribes but not yet in commercial cardrooms like ours.
Maverick Gaming owns 22 card rooms in Washington State and a handful of other properties in Colorado and Nevada.
Maverick Gaming employs 2,400 Washingtonians with average salary of $70,000 and a competitive benefits package. We were proud to support our team members when they joined the ranks of Teamsters 117. Over half of the cardrooms in Washington State are represented by Teamsters 117, which represents real benefits including access to healthcare and a secure retirement. At Maverick Gaming, our goal is not only to be a good employer, but a good neighbor and an active member in the communities where we operate. It’s why our CEO created our Maverick Cares initiative, which is employee-led and in the years since it was founded, has engaged with community partners across the state to provide tens of thousands of meals, school supplies, and other supports for kids and families.
The vast majority of people who gamble do so safely and responsibly and we hope to offer them a fun time that does not threaten their well-being or risk their personal finances. Washington hosts a healthy gambling industry and a devoted and enthusiastic fan base for sports as well as national championships for several teams in recent years from the Seattle Storm (women’s professional basketball) and Seattle Sounders (major league soccer) to the Seattle Seahawks (major league football) and the Seattle Seawolves (major league rugby). As sports wagering increases in popularity across the country (currently offered in 30 states and Washington, D.C.), Maverick Gaming supports legalization and regulation of sports betting in Washington for the limited number of existing cardrooms and racetracks, an opportunity for customers and businesses alike that generates tax revenue to be used in local communities.
MAVERICK GAMING IN THE NEWS
MEET ERIC PERSSON
CEO AND MAJORITY OWNER
Eric is a native Washingtonian, raised in Hoquiam, Washington, and from a young age, he knew he wanted to work in casinos. The first in his family to go to college, Eric attended the University of Nevada in Las Vegas and completed five degrees, spending time away from his considerable class load interning for former U.S. Senator Richard H. Bryan (D-NV) and in the Crimes Against Women and Children Unit of the District Attorney’s office. He went on to graduate from Georgetown Law, and returned to Nevada to begin building a career in the gaming industry.
Since then Eric has held every position from blackjack dealer to general manager and every job in between. Together with co-owner Justin Beltram, former Vice President of Slots at Bellagio and Marina Bay Sands, Maverick’s founders have over 40 years of gaming experience spanning gaming markets around the world including the Las Vegas Strip (Venetian, Palazzo, Bellagio), Macau (Sands China Limited), Singapore (Marina Bay Sands), and many regional markets in North America.
Eric and his wife Ann have four children. His company is named for his oldest son, Maverick.
