Approximately 850 employees at casinos in Washington are set to retain their positions following Eric Persson's decision to reacquire eight casinos identified in recent closure notifications. Persson informed KIRO Newsradio that the casinos will continue to operate during the transition of ownership.
He anticipates that the acquisition will be finalized in roughly three weeks, with plans for the new company to rehire the existing staff at these locations.
“From the customers' perspective, everything remains the same,” Persson stated. “The facilities will remain open.”
Last week, the company issued separate notifications regarding each closure to Washington's Employment Security Department.
Maverick Washington LLC, a subsidiary of RunItOneTime LLC, submitted Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notices that included various positions such as dealers, cooks, servers, bartenders, cashiers, and supervisors across gaming, food service, security, and management sectors.
Each notification contained a message from Christine Wisniewski, the Human Resources Director of Maverick Washington LLC, indicating that a new owner could potentially keep the site operational.
“Maverick Washington LLC is currently undergoing a bankruptcy process, and as part of this, there might be a change in the operator and/or owner of the site,” she explained. “If the site transitions to a new owner/operator, the aforementioned closure may not happen, or it may be postponed. We will keep you updated if that occurs.”
Persson clarified that the notices signify the end of employment with the previous company, but workers will be rehired by the new ownership, assuring that the casinos will remain operational.
“The employees are being let go by the old company but will be reinstated by the new one, and the properties will continue to function,” he added.
Persson expressed concern that the reports stemming from the notices had caused confusion among both employees and patrons regarding the casinos' futures.
“It would have been beneficial if the WARN notice had indicated an expected transition with another party, assuring that these properties are set to remain open,” he remarked.
When questioned about potential delays in the deal, Persson indicated he did not foresee any issues and is collaborating closely with regulatory bodies.
“I am focused on ensuring these properties stay operational and that jobs are preserved,” he stated.
Earlier in September, local news reported that two of Maverick's casinos in Tukwila had filed closure notices affecting 238 jobs.
Maverick Gaming submitted these notices to the state for the Great American Casino and Riverside Casino on Interurban Avenue S., with November 1 marked as the closure date.
Riverside Casino announced layoffs for 142 workers, while Great American Casino reported 96 layoffs, impacting cashiers, bartenders, dealers, cooks, and management personnel.
Persson also noted that two additional properties are being sold to a different buyer, with the deal expected to close in about a month, although he did not disclose the names of these properties during the discussion. Additionally, he mentioned that three other properties had been sold to another buyer.
Persson refuted claims that his current company is in bankruptcy, explaining that in July 2025, he agreed to transfer assets to his lenders, who subsequently filed for bankruptcy through a separate entity.
He clarified that he repurchased the Maverick Gaming brand as part of this transition, emphasizing that the current business operates independently from the company involved in the bankruptcy proceedings.
“Maverick Gaming is not part of the bankruptcy,” he asserted. “We are a distinct company.”
Over the past year, Persson has been reacquiring assets from lenders, which included four card rooms in Washington, two in Kirkland, one in Mountlake Terrace, and one in Lakewood, along with a manufacturing firm. The eight casinos currently being acquired represent the latest phase of this initiative.