The Venetian Resort Las Vegas has agreed to an $850,000 settlement following allegations of religious discrimination and retaliation, resolving a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The resolution includes not just monetary compensation, but also mandatory structural changes to workplace policy and oversight mechanisms that will remain in effect for three years.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada, the lawsuit arose from complaints received before the 2022 sale of the Venetian Resort from Las Vegas Sands to Apollo Global Management. The EEOC alleged that the resort failed to reasonably accommodate the religious practices of employees from various faith backgrounds and retaliated against those who challenged these violations.

Allegations of Religious Discrimination and Retaliation

According to the EEOC, the resort denied requests for religious accommodations made by a group of employees representing different faith traditions. The lawsuit stated that when employees raised concerns or opposed the discriminatory practices, the Venetian responded with punitive actions. These included disciplinary measures, blocked promotion opportunities, terminations, or situations that forced employees to resign.

The lawsuit asserted that this behavior violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects workers against religious discrimination in the workplace. “The law protects the rights of workers in our pluralistic society to live out their various faiths in the workplace,” said EEOC Acting Chair Andrea Lucas. “As this case shows, reasonable accommodation might look like, among other things, allowing certain days off for Sabbatarians or Buddhists and allowing beards for Orthodox Christians. It also means not punishing anyone who speaks out in favor of these rights.”

The legal complaint followed an extensive mediation process between the EEOC and the Venetian, which ultimately failed to result in a conciliation agreement. The formal court filing ensued thereafter under the case name EEOC v. Venetian Las Vegas Gaming, LLC, et al. dba The Venetian Resort Las Vegas (Case No.: 2:25-cv-01148).

Reforms Under a Three-Year Consent Decree

As part of the settlement, the Venetian has committed to broad reforms designed to safeguard religious freedoms within the workplace. A court-approved consent decree will be in place for a 36-month period during which the resort is required to overhaul its training, monitoring, and policy infrastructure.

This includes comprehensive training for all employees, supervisors, and managers to ensure understanding of religious accommodation rights under federal law. Furthermore, the Venetian must retain an independent third-party monitor to evaluate and revise its accommodation and complaint handling procedures. This monitor will also track the resort’s adherence to the terms outlined in the decree over the full duration of the agreement.

“We commend the Venetian Resort for their cooperation in the early resolution of this lawsuit and agreeing to implement proactive measures to ensure religious accommodation requests are handled more effectively,” said Anna Park, Regional Attorney for the EEOC’s Los Angeles District, which includes Las Vegas in its jurisdiction. She added, “Employers are reminded of the importance of understanding their obligations under Title VII in accommodating religious beliefs of their employees, especially after the U.S. Supreme Court clarified the standard for granting religious accommodations.”