Former poker room workers sue

Monday, Sept. 20, 1999 | 11:01 a.m.

BILOXI, Miss. -- Former workers at Beau Rivage filed a lawsuit against the casino claiming it violated laws by not giving them adequate notice of layoffs and reneging on promises of jobs.

Twenty-eight former poker room employees filed the lawsuit Thursday in federal court in Biloxi. They are seeking unspecified punitive damages and $15 million in compensatory damages.

The defendant is Mirage Resorts, the Las Vegas parent company of the Beau Rivage, which opened in March.

Beau Rivage shut down its poker room July 27, saying customers demanded more non-smoking room for slot machines. Construction is still underway.

The casino said 61 dealers and other poker room employees were given a severance package and an offer to work in other areas of the resort.

"When you have a mass layoff, you must notify them 60 days beforehand," said attorney Owen Bradley, who represents the employees.

Casino chairman Barry Shier said at the time that the move was not a layoff.

Casino officials said they had not seen the lawsuit and could not comment.

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