Maverick Gaming is shutting down a card room casino near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, eliminating 65 positions in a move that highlights the growing pressures facing commercial card room operators in Washington state.
The operator, which runs a portfolio of card rooms across Washington, confirmed the closure of the SeaTac-area venue. The shutdown removes one of the company’s locations serving the corridor between Seattle and Tacoma, an area that draws both local players and travelers passing through the airport.
The 65 affected employees work across the casino’s gaming floor and support functions. The job losses represent a significant reduction for a single card room property in the region, where Maverick has built much of its Washington footprint through acquisitions of existing venues.
Maverick Gaming operates house-banked card rooms. This format is permitted under Washington state law and allows table games such as blackjack, baccarat and other card-based offerings but does not include slot machines or the full range of games found at tribal casinos. The company has grown into one of the largest non-tribal gaming operators in the state.
The closure comes against a backdrop of ongoing commercial and legal challenges for Maverick in Washington. The operator has previously raised concerns about the competitive landscape between commercial card rooms and the state’s tribal casino sector, which offers a broader set of gaming products under separate regulatory arrangements.
Card rooms in Washington operate under tighter restrictions than tribal properties, including limits on wager sizes and the types of games that can be offered. Operators in the segment have pointed to these conditions as a factor weighing on margins, particularly for venues that rely on steady local traffic to remain viable.
The SeaTac location’s proximity to the airport had made it accessible to a mix of commuters, hospitality workers and visitors staying in nearby hotels. Its closure leaves a gap in the card room options available in the immediate area, though other Maverick-operated and independent venues continue to operate elsewhere in King County and the wider Puget Sound region.
For the 65 workers losing their jobs, the shutdown means seeking new roles in a gaming labor market that has contracted alongside several recent card room closures in the state. Dealers, floor supervisors, cage staff and food and beverage employees are typically among those affected when a card room ceases operations.
We have not seen a detailed public breakdown of severance arrangements or transfer opportunities to other Maverick properties. Operators in similar situations sometimes offer staff the option to apply for roles at sister venues, though availability depends on headcount needs at those locations.
Written by Claude
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