Tri-State racetrack hosting 3 job fairs: ; Gaming facility is looking to hire full-time and part-time workers and about 300 dealers

Tri-State Racing and Gaming Center is having three job fairs thisweek.

On Monday afternoon, Ron LaDuca, director of table games at Tri-State, said about 40 people had applied for various positions. Alongwith dealers, the facility was looking for security/surveillance,food/beverage and money room positions, he said.

The facility is hiring full-time and part-time workers, he said,including about 300 dealers.

For dealer positions, job seekers must take a multiple-weekcourse before starting work. Classes will begin at West VirginiaState Community and Technical College the first week of June. Poker,roulette and blackjack classes are $490 for a seven-week course. The11-week craps course costs $770.

In August 2007, Kanawha County voters approved poker and othercasino games at Tri-State. In October, the racetrack hosted a jobfair, with dozens of people paying $350 to pre-register for dealerclasses, which would have begun in November or December 2007.

Officials had hoped to have the table games up and running by thebeginning of 2008.

However, delays in the election, getting equipment and findingcertified instructors pushed back the classes.

Now, dealer-training classes are scheduled to end in July, LaDucasaid. Following the classes, potential dealers have to obtainlicensing, which will take an additional one to two weeks, he said.

Tri-State is also sponsoring a fair at the Big Sandy SuperstoreArea in Huntington today and at the Beckley-Raleigh CountyConvention Center in Beckley on Thursday. Both fairs run from 11a.m. to 7 p.m.

Hal Darnold, 67, of Charleston has wanted to be a blackjackdealer since Tri-State Racing and Gaming Center's table games wereapproved. He signed up for the dealer classes once before, butsetbacks at the track delayed the start of classes.

On Monday, he was back, testing and registering for classesduring one of three job fairs Tri-State is holding this week.

"I love to watch people gamble," Darnold said while beginning apre-test. "A lot of money [from the table games] is going to helppeople in the area. Where's the bad story?

There isn't one."

Joe Workman, 26, of Nitro was filling out an application for asecurity position at Tri-State. He just got out of the Army in Apriland has military police and law enforcement experience.

He's glad the racetrack has expanded its operations.

"I think it's great," he said. "It will add a lot more jobs inthe area."

Charles Haverty, 67, of Chloe came to the job fair for an obviousreason.

"I need a job. ... I need something to subsidize my income," hesaid, adding that he is retired and collects Social Security.

He's worked in a casino before, spending four or five monthsworking as a cook. "I like the atmosphere [of a casino]," he said

Now, he wants to be out on the floor, dealing poker.

"When they said they were going to open this up, I just smiled.It's great in every way. ... And I need something to cut down on myown poker playing," he said, with a little laugh."

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