Poker Writer
Maverick Gaming is closing two more casinos as it continues to struggle. The Great American Casino and the Riverside Casino in Tukwila, Washington, are both closing on Nov. 1. The closures will cost almost 250 employees their jobs.
The Washington State-based gaming company filed for bankruptcy in 2025 and promptly closed four casinos in the Evergreen State in July. Maverick has closed five more locations since April of this year, as their widespread influence in Washington continues to wane.
The closure of these two properties was attributed to significant competition from tribal casinos in the area and rising labor costs.
Jeff Seery, chief restructuring officer, explained at the time of bankruptcy:
Significant minimum wage increases in the Tukwila market have also caused a substantial increase in labor costs on the company’s Tukwila properties.
He attributed Maverick’s bankruptcy at large to “significant competition from tribal casinos in their key Washington market, operational misalignments, and industry headwinds.”
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Maverick Still Has a Gaming Presence in Three States
Maverick Gaming still has more than 20 operational properties after the closure of these two. Fifteen remain in Washington, four in Nevada, and three in Colorado.
All remaining properties in Washington — many in the Seattle area — are listed as cardrooms. The ones in Colorado and Nevada are full commercial casinos.
Eric Persson Missing From Cash Game Streams
Maverick Gaming owner Eric Persson made a splash on several high-stakes cash game streams around 2022 and 2023. His intense, boisterous style drew attention and made him a popular player to watch on streams.
It even led to a heads-up battle with Phil Hellmuth, where he goaded Hellmuth with trash talk and eventually won. He also faced off against Daniel Negreanu in 2023 in High Stakes Duel 4. Persson came up short against the poker legend in that one.
The 51-year-old Persson has been conspicuously absent from cash game streams since February 2024. According to HighRollPoker tracking, he is down more than $6 million across his cash-game appearances since his first in March 2022. That includes more than 204 hours played.
If Maverick Gaming was primarily funding Persson’s livestreamed cash game appearances, it makes sense that he has become scarce in concert with the company’s downturn. An unprofitable business or a high-stakes poker habit can be quite costly in isolation. Combined, they can deliver devastating losses to an individual’s bottom line.
