Share 
State of Play’s TL;DR
- Workers at a casino in Colorado have joined Teamsters Local 455.
- It’s the first casino in the Centennial State to unionize.
Bally’s Black Hawk Casino workers in Colorado have joined Teamsters Local 455, with 110 employees becoming the first casino workers in state history to unionize.
The union said the workers organized through a card-check process after Bally’s and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters reached a neutrality agreement in November 2025.
The new bargaining unit includes:
- Cooks
- Cashiers
- Bartenders
- Servers
- Housekeeping staff
- Maintenance technicians
- Slot attendants
- Slot technicians
The development is a notable labor milestone for Colorado’s casino industry and sets up negotiations over a first contract at one of Bally’s land-based gaming operations in Black Hawk.
Workers cite pay, benefits, and safety concerns
According to the AP, the employees sought union representation to pursue wage increases, improved benefits, and safer working conditions.
Tommy Blitsch, director of the Teamsters Convention, Trade Show, and Casino Division, said in a statement:
“The workers at Black Hawk Casino came together to secure a stronger voice on the job, and they’ve made history in the process.”
Dean Modecker, secretary-treasurer of Local 455, called the vote “an important moment for workers in Colorado and the entire casino industry” and said the local is prepared to help the group pursue “a fair first contract.”
Worker Alexander Balza, a housekeeper and new Local 455 member, applauded the vote.
“We saw an opportunity to make things better at work, and we took it.”
He added that the changes would make “a real difference” for workers and their families.
What happens next at Bally’s Black Hawk
The immediate next step is bargaining for an initial labor agreement. The AP did not say when negotiations will begin or what specific contract terms are being proposed beyond the workers’ stated goals on pay, benefits, and workplace safety.
Bally’s Black Hawk operates three casino properties in Black Hawk, CO. Together, those properties feature more than 540 slots, 33 table games, and a poker room.
The Teamsters said they represent nearly 6,000 members at casinos and casino hotels nationwide. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, founded in 1903, says it represents 1.3 million people across the USs, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
For Bally’s, the unionization creates a new bargaining unit at its Black Hawk properties. For Colorado’s casino sector, it marks a first that could draw attention from workers at other gaming venues in the state.
Based on reporting by the Associated Press via AOL.
