In a shocking revelation captured through undercover journalism, MGM Resorts' Director of Casino Marketing, Albie Velarde, openly admitted to discriminatory hiring practices based on race. This exclusive investigation pulls back the curtain on how one of America's largest entertainment and hospitality companies implements diversity policies that may violate equal opportunity employment laws.
The Investigation
Our team chose to investigate MGM Resorts, a multinational corporation that generated $17.2 billion in revenue in 2024 and stands as one of the world's largest hospitality, sports, and entertainment companies. Americans have long trusted MGM for entertainment and leisure, but what happens behind the scenes in their hiring practices deserves scrutiny.
The investigation led us to Albie Velarde, Director of Casino Marketing at MGM Resorts. In his role, Velarde oversees several teams including special events, promotions, casino hosts, and the creative team. He's been in leadership for over two years and wields significant influence over hiring decisions within his department.
Racial Discrimination in Hiring
When asked directly about his hiring preferences between equally qualified candidates of different races, Velarde made a startling admission:
"If you had an African-American guy and that white guy who you did hire both together for that role, say they're equal on all merits... I'd probably hire the African-American."
Velarde elaborated further, stating that regardless of qualifications on paper, he believes white candidates "don't fit well" with his MGM team:
"No matter how great they look on paper... if they don't fit well with my team, I'm not gonna hire them."
When pressed about whether this constituted racial discrimination, Velarde acknowledged: "So in that situation, you would be weeding out by race, essentially." He responded with a simple, "I would as well look at that, right?"
Institutional Direction
The investigation revealed that MGM's diversity practices extend beyond individual hiring managers. Velarde disclosed that MGM HR sends monthly "turnover summaries" that track employee demographics, and managers are expected to maintain specific racial and gender balances.
"Every month, they send us our turnover summary of the month. They'll point out this month we lost this amount of females versus males."
This suggests an institutional policy of replacing employees based on demographic categories rather than focusing solely on qualifications. Velarde confirmed this approach: "So if I lose one of my females, I try to replace it with her."
Preferential Business Relationships
Beyond hiring practices, Velarde also admitted to discriminatory practices in business relationships. He stated he deliberately avoids working with "standard companies" in favor of diversity-based businesses:
"Instead of going to big companies to supply different things, sometimes I'll find local businesses that can do with me to help out local businesses. I will purposely look for those diverse suppliers, whether that is a women's own company, whether that is a black owned company of some sort, whatever it is... that's exactly who I want to work with anyway."
Legal and Ethical Concerns
These admissions raise serious questions about MGM's compliance with equal opportunity employment laws. While diversity initiatives are legal and often beneficial, explicitly excluding candidates based on race violates federal anti-discrimination laws.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces these protections, and companies found in violation can face significant legal consequences.
Broader Implications
This investigation raises important questions about how major corporations implement diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. While promoting workforce diversity is a worthy goal, doing so through discriminatory practices undermines the principle of equal opportunity.
MGM Resorts publicly champions its commitment to diversity, but this undercover footage suggests that at least in some departments, this commitment may have crossed into illegal discrimination.
What's Next?
Our investigation continues as we examine whether these practices are isolated to Velarde's department or represent a broader pattern across MGM Resorts. We have reached out to MGM for comment on these revelations and await their response.
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