Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts recently announced the promotion of Yonkers resident Erick Isaac to the position of drop/count manager in the finance department. In this role, Isaac will oversee the drop and count team, ensuring compliance with all federal and state currency and gaming regulations. He will also oversee the collection, sorting, counting, recording and secure transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars each month at one of the nation’s largest casinos.
A dedicated team member for 17 years, Isaac’s journey at Empire City exemplifies the career growth opportunities within MGM Resorts and the casino industry. Originally from Puerto Rico, Isaac moved to New York and began his career at Empire City in the slots department as a slot gaming attendant, a position he learned about through a friend. Over the years, he advanced to slots supervisor, then slots manager.
A key responsibility of this position is ensuring strict compliance with regulatory and security standards while maintaining accuracy and accountability in financial transactions. The oversight is particularly significant as nearly 70% of Empire City’s gross gaming revenue is allocated to New York state to support education, harness racing and both state and local governments.
Since opening in 2006, Empire City has generated over $5 billion for New York state’s education fund, representing approximately 30% of the total educational funding generated by all VLT casinos statewide. This underscores Empire City’s vital economic role in New York’s economic landscape and highlights the importance of Isaac’s new management position.
“Erick’s extensive regulatory knowledge, coupled with his communication and leadership skills, have been the cornerstone of his success,” said Empire City’s Vice President of Finance, Jonathan Cocchiola. “His positive attitude, strong work ethic and ability to develop solutions to complex challenges make him an invaluable team member. …”
“To grow within MGM Resorts, surrounded by a culture of collaboration and community, is one of the many reasons I take pride in being a member of the Empire City team,” said Isaac. “My previous roles helped me develop strong attention to detail and problem-solving skills in a fast-paced environment. I am grateful for this opportunity to further my managerial skills and continue to advance my career.”
Isaac’s team will play a pivotal role as MGM Resorts prepares to secure a commercial casino license. This license would enable Empire City to replace computerized electronic table games with live dealers, offer retail sports betting, Class III Vegas-style slot machines, and expand its amenities.
This transformation is expected to create 2,000 direct jobs at Empire City, generate more than $1 billion in new economic activity for the region, and support the creation of thousands of construction and other indirect and induced jobs.
