Union Casino Jobs in Baltimore are Threatened by Illegal Prediction Market Gambling

BALTIMORE — UNITE HERE Local 7, a labor union representing casino workers in Maryland, applauds the City of Baltimore’s lawsuit against Kalshi and Polymarket.

“Mayor Scott is standing up for working people in Baltimore,” said Tracy Lingo, President of UNITE HERE Local 7. “Through organizing and collective bargaining, our members have fought for good, union jobs at the Horseshoe Baltimore Casino. Their jobs are now under attack from prediction market apps illegally offering sports betting in violation of Maryland’s gaming laws. Maryland voters approved a gaming policy that provides taxes to fund community needs, creates family supporting jobs, and creates brick-and-mortar economic development. Kalshi and Polymarket are circumventing the will of voters by creating unregulated gambling under a different name with no benefits for our community.”

UNITE HERE Local 7 represents cleaners, servers, bartenders, cooks, dishwashers and other frontline hospitality workers at the Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore who work in the sports book, gaming floor, and bars and restaurants. Elsewhere in Maryland, UNITE HERE Local 7 also represents workers at the Ocean Downs Casino and UNITE HERE Local 25 represents workers at MGM National Harbor.

UNITE HERE is the largest union of gaming industry workers in the US, representing over 100,000 workers in Tribal and commercial casinos. In total, our union represents 300,000 working people across Canada and the United States. UNITE HERE members work in the hotel, gaming, food service, manufacturing, textile, distribution, laundry, transportation, and airport industries.