Twenty years ago, Valerie Murzl became Station Casinos’ first female executive to work in corporate offices.
Murzl said the male-dominated leadership welcomed her. But when she became pregnant later that year, she was reminded Las Vegas had a long way to go in bettering conditions for its working women.
“There was not one child care option that stayed open past 6 p.m.,” she said. “I thought ‘This is crazy. How can you be an executive in our industry and work the hours involved if you’re a woman with a child?’”
Fast forward to 2017, and Murzl says she’s seen some important improvements. Many casino companies have opened in-house child care facilities for employees and have created private spaces for breast-feeding.
But a study published this month shows the industry has to do more to reach gender equality.
Women of Diversity Productions, a local nonprofit group, came to the conclusion after spending the past eight months surveying and researching 21 gaming corporations with U.S. headquarters, most doing business in Las Vegas.
“Our goal was to ascertain the status of women in the workplace in the gaming industry,” board member Denise Duarte said
Twenty years ago, Valerie Murzl became Station Casinos’ first female executive to work in corporate offices.
Murzl said the male-dominated leadership welcomed her. But when she became pregnant later that year, she was reminded Las Vegas had a long way to go in bettering conditions for its working women.
“There was not one child care option that stayed open past 6 p.m.,” she said. “I thought ‘This is crazy. How can you be an executive in our industry and work the hours involved if you’re a woman with a child?’”
Fast forward to 2017, and Murzl says she’s seen some important improvements. Many casino companies have opened in-house child care facilities for employees and have created private spaces for breast-feeding.
But a study published this month shows the industry has to do more to reach gender equality.
Women of Diversity Productions, a local nonprofit group, came to the conclusion after spending the past eight months surveying and researching 21 gaming corporations with U.S. headquarters, most doing business in Las Vegas.
“Our goal was to ascertain the status of women in the workplace in the gaming industry,” board member Denise Duarte said.
Women’s leadership lacking
Among the findings of the Gaming Gender Equality Index: Not one of the 21 corporations had a female CEO, chairwoman or president. At only three corporations did women hold one-third or more executive board seats.