UNITE HERE President: Congress Must Act to Protect Good Jobs from Illegal Prediction Market Gambling

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A statement from UNITE HERE President Gwen Mills:

“Prediction markets are putting good, union jobs in the gaming industry at risk. Over 100,000 UNITE HERE members work in Tribal and commercial casinos. Their livelihoods are now threatened by prediction markets conducting illegal sports betting in violation of Tribal sovereignty and state laws across the country.

“Congress must take immediate action to ban prediction markets from conducting sports betting and casino style games.

“The lawful, Tribal and state regulated gaming industries have invested in creating good jobs in brick-and-mortar casinos and sportsbooks. These economic development projects create broad benefits to surrounding communities and businesses. Through collective bargaining, UNITE HERE members who work in casinos have achieved life-changing wages and benefits that uplift workers, their families, and their communities. Our members are casino housekeepers, bartenders, servers, cooks, and dishwashers. Together with responsible gaming employers, they have built a union standard with high wages, access to affordable health insurance, and the ability to retire with dignity. Good casino jobs allow our members to buy their first homes, send their kids to college, and quit second jobs to spend more time with their families. We will not allow prediction markets to attack our jobs and turn back our progress.

“As the Senate considers cryptocurrency market structure legislation, this is an urgent moment to reaffirm congressional intent that gambling is governed by Tribal and state authorities. We thank Senators Adam Schiff, Catherine Cortez Masto, and John Curtis for sponsoring the Prediction Markets Are Gambling Act (S 4160) and we urge the Senate to pass this critically important legislation.”

UNITE HERE is the largest union of gaming industry workers in the US, representing over 100,000 workers in Tribal and commercial casinos. In total, our union represents 300,000 working people across Canada and the United States. UNITE HERE members work in the hotel, gaming, food service, manufacturing, textile, distribution, laundry, transportation, and airport industries.