“Help Wanted.” “Now Hiring.” These little words signal a plea as the national labor shortage has trickled down to the casinos in Cripple Creek.

“We’re in an employee crisis,” said Scott Porter, director of corporate casino operations for Triple Crown Casinos. “We can’t even get applications. It’s crazy.”

The labor shortage got dicey when Cripple Creek casinos reopened June 15, 2020, after three months of being shut down due to the coronavirus restrictions.

“There were a large number of employees who were not ready to come back to work,” said Jackie Sunshine, director of human resources at Bronco Billy’s Casino. “Some of that, I’m sure, was driven by the extra $600 per week in unemployment payments.”