CHESTER - Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort has cut 93 jobs from its ranks permanently.
The company is describing the cuts as a reduction in force, not a layoff. The cuts represent a 4-percent reduction in the permanent work force at Mountaineer.
Tamara Pettit, Mountaineer spokeswoman, said the cuts are across the board, with the majority coming from the salaried and management ranks.
Robert Griffin, who became chief executive officer at the beginning of November with the departure of Ted Arneault, said, "As the largest employer in Hancock County, it's vital that we act to ensure that Mountaineer is profitable and that we continue to provide jobs for residents and revenue to our county and the state of West Virginia."
He said the reduction is necessary to ensure Mountaineer remains competitive in difficult economic times.
Pettit emphasized the cuts affect far fewer jobs than were created when the resort added table gambling in the fall of 2007. With poker tables and full casino games, the resort added 700 positions.
Mountaineer had 2,169 employees and will have 2,076 after the cuts, she said.
Mountaineer had reported an increase in net revenue in the third quarter, but as the results were released, officials emphasized that a focus on cutting corporate overhead was to be made.
Pettit said while table gambling brought increased revenue in the third quarter - the tables weren't open during the 2007 third quarter - slot machine revenue fell by $4.2 million.
"Increased competition from Pennsylvania, increased gasoline prices and the faltering economy all impacted our business," she said.
Mountaineer pushed to have table gambling approved in a local referendum in mid-2007 and began opening table gambling operations in October of that year.
"The passage of table games was vital to Mountaineer's survival. Had table games not passed, Mountaineer's ability to compete would have been drastically impacted and the reduction in force would have been much higher," she said.