Schenectady Casino Welcomes New General Manager

Just recently, Rush Street Gaming made the announcement that its Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady in upstate New York has appointed a new General Manager. Former Atlantic City casino executive, Joe Lodise, will now take over the role at the upstate gaming hotspot. However, the casino still waits on approval from the New York State Gaming Commission.

Mr. Lodise will now look after the casino after previously being employed at Caesars Atlantic City Hotel & Casino, where he served as Senior Vice President of Finance and General Manager. There he was involved in monitoring a US$200 million renovation project, as well as overseeing an upgraded casino floor, hotel, a new outdoor pool and restaurant.

Welcoming Mr. Lodise To Board

In a press release from last week, Tim Drehkof, CEO of Rush Street shared that the company is pleased to welcome Mr. Lodise to the Rush Street Gaming family and the Schenectady’s team. Mr. Drehkof said that the new GM’s over 15 years of experience in the industry and his leadership skills, financial acumen and more make him the ideal candidate for the commercial casino in NY.

Mr. Lodise kicked off his career with Caesars Entertainment in 2007 starting as Operations Manager at Harrah’s Resort in AC. He was later promoted to VP of Finance. After that he relocated to Mississippi taking the responsibility of Assistant GM and VP of Finance at Horseshoe Tunica. Then he earned a promotion and became Senior VP and GM.

Now, he will become part of an award-winning staff in Schenectady. The casino was recently awarded a spot in the Times-union’s list of top workplaces in upstate New York, making it a total of six straight years that the casino made the list. The list is made after employees rate their companies in a variety of areas, meaning that the awards are entirely comprised of staff voting.

Lastly, Linda Waters, Vice President of Human Resources at the commercial casino said that working at the property was more than just a job, as its experts always concentrate on ongoing professional development and personal growth of the team. She noted that the inclusion in the list was a celebration of its team members who deliver outstanding service to guests and give back to communities.

Offering Employment and Entertainment

At the end of March, the upstate casino also hosted a job fair to fill in some job vacancies and provide career opportunities to local residents. There were around 50 available positions and the full-time ones include paid time off, medical/dental/vision plans, a 401(k) plan with company match, tuition, fitness reimbursement programs, and discounted meals.

This April the casino also debuted its first-ever Electric City Poker Series. The competition kicked off on Tuesday, April 11, but ran through Sunday, April 23. It featured a total of 11 tournaments at its Event Center and Poker Room. Each of the events came with a guaranteed prize pool and over US$290,000 in total guarantees.

Source: Bocker, Matt “Joe Lodise Brings in Over 15 Years Of Gaming Experience As New Rivers Schenectady General Manager” PlayNY, April 27, 2023