Maverick Gaming owner Eric Persson has announced plans to reacquire eight Washington state casinos to prevent scheduled November closures. The deal aims to preserve approximately 850 jobs across various service and management roles as the company navigates a complex bankruptcy-related restructuring.
Preserving 850 roles from Everett to Kennewick
The proposed reacquisition by Maverick Gaming is set to stabilize employment across several key Washington communities. According to the report, the transaction is expected to finalize in roughly three weeks, ensuring that staff members in gaming, security, food service, and management remain employed. The properties involved include the Great American Casino in Everett, the All Star Casino in Silverdale, and the Crazy Moose Casino in Pasco, as well as Casino Caribbean in Yakima and Coyote Bobs Casino in Kennewick.
In Lakewood, the deal will also encompass Chip's Casino, Macau Casino, and Palace Casino. This move is intended to prevent the mass layoffs that were previously anticipated following bankruptcy filings by Maverick Washington LLC, a sister company.. By transitioning employees to a new Maverick Gaming subsidiary, the company aims to maintain continuous operations at these sites.
The administrative confusion behind the November 1 WARN notices
The announcement of the reacquisition follows a period of significant uncertainty for staff caused by official labor notices. Human Resources Director Christine Wisniewski issued WARN notices stating that employment would terminate on November 1, though she noted that the date could be avoided if a new operator was found. As the report indicates, these letters caused considerable distress among both employees and patrons who feared the permanent loss of these gaming venues.
Eric Persson addressed this tension by clarifying that the impending shutdown was an administrative necessity rather than a functional closure . Speaking to KIRO Newsradio, Persson emphasized that the businesses would remain open throughout the transition. He argued that the public perception of a total shutdown was a distortion caused by the specific wording of the WARN notices, which did not sufficiently highlight the planned transfer of ownership.
A search for an unnamed buyer in Tukwila
While the eight primary casinos are being reclaimed by Maverick Gaming, the fate of two other properties in Tukwila remains a point of speculation. The Great American Casino and Riverside Casino were both slated for closure on November 1, a move that would have impacted 238 employees—specifically 96 at the Great American site and 142 at Riverside. Persson has indicated that a transfer of ownership for these two locations is also expected within the next month.
However,the identity of the party acquiring these Tukwila properties remains unknown. The report notes that Persson has declined to name the buyer, leaving local workers and industry observers wondering who will take over the management of these specific assets. This lack of transparency leaves a significant question regarding the long-term stability of the Tukwila gaming market.
Reclaiming assets from the July 2025 lender transaction
The current reacquisition effort is part of a broadder strategic pattern of Maverick Gaming buying back assets from lenders. This follows a July 2025 transaction in which Persson sold assets to lenders who subsequently filed for bankruptcy through a separate corporate structure. Persson maintains that Maverick Gaming itself is not currently in bankruptcy proceedings and is a distinct entity from the bankrupt Maverick Washington LLC.
This buyback strategy has already seen the reclamation of four card rooms located in Kirkland, Mountlake Terrace, and Lakewood, along with a manufacturing company. As Washington regulators monitor the situation, the success of this transition may serve as a case study for how large enterprises manage massive employee rosters during ownership shifts. The final hurdle for the eight casinos will be obtaining formal approval from state regulators to complete the transaction.
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