2004 GREAT WOMEN OF GAMING
Proven leader

Linda M. Kassekert

Chair
New Jersey Casino Control Commission

 

Linda Kassekert certainly knows her way around government agencies. As chair of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission (CCC), she manages the activities and regulatory responsibilities of 350 employees, as they oversee the Atlantic City casino properties. Although women have always held positions as commissioners, Kassekert is the first female chair since the formation of the organization in the late 1970s.

Following years of working in government positions that functioned in Trenton, the state capital, the gaming industry was a new venture for Kassekert. She accepted former Governor James McGreevey's nomination in July 2002 and confirmation in October 2002 after an exhaustive investigation.

She explains, "It is an aggressive process in New Jersey because investigators go way back into someone's life. Our standards are so tight here that companies look to get licensed here because it makes it easier in other jurisdictions."

Kassekert had known McGreevey from his earlier day as a councilman in Woodbridge, New Jersey. She also served on McGreevey's transition team following his 2001 gubernatorial election victory. "I thrive on change, and it was a real challenge for me. I was not really a gambler, so I had to learn the industry. I confess I read Gambling for Dummies to help me learn about the games," says Kassekert.

However, Kassekert's prior work experience proved helpful in her transition into the job. As an attorney, she was proficient in understanding governmental regulations and procedures. Prior to assuming the Chair's position, Kassekert was the Associate Director of Government Relations for the 179,000-member New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), the labor union representing active and retired teachers and other educational professionals throughout the state. Her tenure provided opportunities to testify before legislative committees and draft position papers and public statements.

In the late 1980s into the early 1990s, Kassekert was Deputy Commissioner in the Department of Personnel in Trenton, a research associate in the Senate Majority Office, a staff assistant to the Senate State Government Committee and the Senate County and Municipal Government Committee.

While Kassekert fully expected challenges and an active schedule, she claims that the past two-plus years have been filled with exciting moments. She says, "The first thing I did was meet the casino executives to discuss how we could cooperatively promote a business-friendly environment in a highly regulated industry. Within a year of my appointment, I went through my first casino opening at the Borgata in July 2003, which was more intense because it was the first totally cashless casino."

For Kassekert, keeping abreast of all new technologies to maintain integrity is a constant education. She states, "New Jersey has the strictest regulations regarding game performance on the front end and audit accountability on the back end. Because the tax revenues go to seniors and the disabled, it has to be right. We had to ensure that the Borgata's new technology met the standards of a secure audit trail."

Kassekert asserts that timing is everything, offering her opportunities that may not have always been available. She says, "I have not encountered difficulties as a female, but the story may have been different 10 years earlier. I worked with forward thinking people, and former Governor Christie Whitman headed a progressive government. Women should mentor other women, which doesn't always happen. Since coming to the CCC, I have been fortunate to find and hire highly qualified women—the two most prominent are the chief of staff and our general counsel."

Women are taking a much greater role in Atlantic City. Kassekert cites several lawyers, casino presidents and financial analysts who comprise a large part of the Atlantic City gaming landscape.

Kassekert would like to see women throughout the industry discussing issues and trading stories. At a recent meeting of the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) and the International Association of Gaming Attorneys (IAGA), she claims that it was a real pleasure to be in a room full of women who share the same professional interests.

She says, "There are great women in all areas of the industry, but I have met bright, interesting lawyers and accountants. Women are also taking a strong position on Wall Street. We are so far away from the era of the cocktail waitress position as the only job for females."

Recent New Jersey court cases have changed the laws regarding minority and female employment. Kassekert says that the CCC is redrafting their policies to comply with court decisions while diversifying. "Good people rise to the top, and we cannot use percentage quotas when hiring."

Chair Linda Kassekert is clearly enjoying her job. She is in the middle of a fiveyear term that may be renewed for an additional five years. "It is exciting to work within an industry that strives to meet and operate under such high standards of integrity," she says.


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