One of the main questions following the proposed acquisition of the Atlantic Club land casino in New Jersey by Pokerstars is would it have any effect on extensive staff lay-offs that have been announced.
On Jan. 28, staff at Atlantic Club was informed that 1,729 jobs could be lost by the end of March, and it has been specified that the warning came as a state labour regulatory requirement associated with the proposed acquisition by Pokerstars parent company Rational Group.
According to Michael Frawley, Atlantic Club’s chief operating officer: “While there is no anticipation of layoffs or cessation of operations, as our company moves through this transaction process, the issuance of notices under WARN and N.J. WARN is a necessary legal requirement.”
Furthermore, it was specified by Eric Hollreiser, Rational Group's head of corporate communication that the acquisition is currently pending the grant of an Interim Casino Authorization by the relevant New Jersey authorities.
In related news, speculations arose that the Atlantic Club sale is linked to the pending matter of New Jersey's online gambling legalisation law, in a way that it may be contingent on the passage of the new New Jersey legislation, placing more pressure to sign on the governor Chris Christie. Whether this is true remains to be seen.