Addressing the Special Concerns of Casino Workers Thinking about Bankruptcy
Transcript:
Matt: Hi, I'm Matt McArthur, bankruptcy attorney at Clear Counsel Law Group. Here in Nevada, a big segment of the population is employed by the casino industry. A very real concern of these people that run into financial difficulties is whether or not they're allowed to file for bankruptcy, and if they did, whether that would jeopardize their employment.
In my experience, it hasn't been a problem. I've filed bankruptcies for dealers, for guest room attendants, for cage cashiers and porters. All these individuals have had garnishments and bank levies, and we've been working closely with the human resources department and the payroll department at various properties to make sure that these individuals can stop a wage garnishment for example. In my experience, the casinos have been very cooperative in helping us deal with wage garnishments and help their employees out.
In my experience, there has been no difficulty whatsoever with these types of people being able to keep their jobs and still file for bankruptcy and address the debt that's hanging over them. Very common issue. I haven't seen it be a problem. It is theoretically possible because these are gaming institutions and they are very concerned about protecting the financial integrity of their institutions. However, for most, actually for all, individuals that I've filed bankruptcy for that worked in the casino industry, it hasn't been a detriment to their job. Brian, did you have any follow-up questions in this area that you've been seeing?
Brian: Is it unique for a casino employee, in particular because they need a sheriff's card to deal with money? Is that going to stop them from declaring bankruptcy?
Matt: No. Having a sheriff's card and working in this type of environment isn't going to prevent you from filing bankruptcy. The only real issue is whether or not their employer would view the bankruptcy negatively and in such a light to where it would disqualify them from remaining employed at that property. In our experience, that hasn't been the case. If you have any particular concerns about your situation and you work at a casino or a gaming institution and you're thinking about filing for bankruptcy, please come and see me. We'll discuss it. If necessary, we'll reach out to your employer to make sure it won't be an issue. This is Matt McArthur at Clear Counsel bankruptcy department. I hope to hear from you soon.
