3/21/2022

Sands Bethlehem Poker Room

Sands Bethlehem Poker Room Rating: 3,0/5 3562 votes
(Redirected from Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem)

Coordinates: 40°36′53″N75°21′33″W / 40.6148°N 75.3591°W

Wind Creek Bethlehem
Former logo on the old ore crane of Bethlehem Steel
Address 77 Wind Creek Blvd
Bethlehem, PA 18015-7705
Opening dateMay 22, 2009; 11 years ago
ThemeIndustrial
No. of rooms302
Total gaming space139,000 sq ft (12,900 m2)
Signature attractions
  • Wind Creek Event Center
Notable restaurants
  • Emeril's Chop House
  • St. James Gate Irish Pub and Carvery
Casino typeLand-based
OwnerPoarch Band of Creek Indians
ArchitectRTKL Associates
Previous names
  • Sands BethWorks (planning/construction)
  • Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem (2009–19)
Renovated inCasino floor expansion (late 2009-2010), Hotel (early 2011), Shopping mall (late 2011-2012)
WebsiteCasino Website

The Wind Creek Bethlehem (formerly Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem) is a casino hotel located in the Bethlehem Works development site in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is owned and operated by Wind Creek Hospitality, an entity of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.

History[edit]

Sands Bethlehem Poker Tournaments

Construction of the casino at the defunct Bethlehem Steel site, with an original ore crane pictured

Sands Casino: Best-run Poker Room Outside of Vegas - See 1,425 traveler reviews, 112 candid photos, and great deals for Bethlehem, PA, at Tripadvisor. 77 Sands Blvd Bethlehem, PA 1-877-726-3777 www.pasands.com Sands Bethlehem Poker Tournament Schedule Help Card Player keep its database accurate. Limits game type # of tables waiting list interest list; loading data.

Sands Bethlehem offers over 3,000 state-of the-art slot machines and over 200 table games including a 30 table poker room, as well as a 282-room hotel and over 12,000 sq. Of meeting space. Wind Creek Bethlehem is home to close to 200 table games, including a 26-table Poker Room. Find all your favorite games including: Big Six – Temporarily Unavailable.

The property is one of five stand-alone casinos that was awarded a slots license by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board on December 20, 2006.[1] It was developed by the Las Vegas Sands corporation. The casino was slated to open in July 2008, but demolition took longer than expected due to the heavy concrete foundations of the old steel building. Its opening was delayed until the second quarter of 2009. The first concrete for the complex, which is located on the former Bethlehem Steel land on the south side of the city, was poured on November 15, 2007.

It opened on May 22, 2009. While the Las Vegas Sands owned several properties, this was the only casino in the United States to carry the Sands brand in its name, since the original Sands Hotel in Las Vegas was demolished and replaced with The Venetian, and the Sands Atlantic City was closed and demolished.

In the winter of 2009–2010, the casino was granted a license for table games which allowed the casino to expand to include 180 table games, including poker, blackjack and craps.[2] Table games began operation on July 18, 2010. The Sands Hotel opened on May 27, 2011.

Following the addition of table games, the casino has become a popular destination for Asian Americans from New York City, who frequently travel to the casino on motorcoach buses operated by Chinatown bus lines. More than 3,000 riders a day traveled by bus to the casino from Asian American neighborhoods in New York City. The casino has the busiest motorcoach business of any casino in Pennsylvania.[3]

Sands had offered $45 in free play vouchers for slot machines to riders who paid $15 for a bus ticket. This offer led to the creation of an underground market where Asian American bus riders from New York City, often low-income or homeless people, would sell their free play vouchers upon arriving at the casino and would hang around Bethlehem for the day without gambling before returning by bus to New York City. Casino patrons would buy the free play vouchers in bulk at a discount and use them in the video poker machines, which have a lower house advantage, and attempt to make a profit. On March 31, 2014, in an effort to end this practice, the video poker machines at Sands stopped accepting the free play vouchers given to bus riders.[3]

It was the only property in the company to end 2014 with a profit, doing better than Sands' Vegas and Asia properties.

In November 2016, a planned expansion of the gaming floor, along with, two additional restaurants was announced.

In March 2018, it was announced that the property would be sold to Wind Creek Hospitality for $1.3 billion.[4][5] Wind Creek Hospitality had plans for a $190-million expansion to the property that would add a 300-room hotel and possibly an indoor water park.[6] The sale was completed in May 2019,[7] and the property was renamed as Wind Creek Bethlehem in July 2019.[8]

On June 10, 2020, Wind Creek Bethlehem was granted approval from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to offer sports betting. Construction of the sportsbook at Wind Creek Bethlehem, which is operated by Betfred and located at the site of Buddy V's Ristorante, began around August 18, 2020 and opened on November 18, 2020.[9][10]

Wind Creek Event Center[edit]

The Wind Creek Event Center was designed by Howard Kulp Architects of Salisbury Township. The event center features 14,000 sq ft (1,300 m2) of flexible multipurpose space, which accommodates meetings, conventions, and a variety of entertainment events.[11][12] The venue can house 3,800 in a general admission setting and 2,500 in a reserved seating setting.[13] Operated by Live Nation Mid-Atlantic, it was opened on May 16, 2012 as the Sands Bethlehem Event Center, with a concert by Incubus.[14]Janet Jackson performed to a sold-out crowd at the venue in November 2017 for her State of the World Tour.[15]Britney Spears performed at the venue in July 2018 on her Piece of Me tour.[16]

Facilities[edit]

Sands Casino Resort

Gaming[edit]

The casino features over 3,000 slot machines, 200 table games, several electronic table games, and sports betting. Sands spent $26 million in 2009 to add 119 table games: 41 blackjack tables, four craps, four roulette, four three-card poker, fourteen mini-baccarat, four midi-baccarat, three pai gow poker, two pai gow tiles, one Big Six, two Let It Ride, two Caribbean stud, four Texas Hold'em Bonus, one Casino War, one sic bo and 12 poker tables. Later a 30-table poker room was built off of the main floor. Table games began operation on July 18, 2010.[citation needed] The sportsbook at Wind Creek Bethlehem, which is operated by Betfred and opened on November 18, 2020, has 79 TV screens, 13 self-serve sports betting kiosks, and 8 teller windows. Wind Creek Bethlehem also offers online sports betting.[9][10]

Dining[edit]

  • Burgers and More by Emeril (BAM)
  • Carlo's Bake Shop(also known as Carlo's Bakery)
  • Chopstick
  • Croissanterie
  • Steelworks Buffet & Grill
  • The Market Gourmet Express Food Court, currently including:
    • Bananas
    • Casa Java
    • Far East
    • GreenLeafs
    • Mo Burger
    • South Philly Steaks & Fries
    • Villa Italian Kitchen
Sands

Nightlife[edit]

  • Molten
  • Coil Lounge
  • Vision Bar
Sands Bethlehem Poker Room

Shopping[edit]

The Outlets at Wind Creek Bethlehem

The Outlets at Wind Creek Bethlehem is an indoor shopping mall that connects the casino and the hotel.[17] The outlet center, which opened on November 1, 2011 and is located under the Minsi Trail Bridge, comprises 133,000 sq ft (12,400 m2) of retail space and includes a food court, near the casino entrance.

Events[edit]

Lehigh Valley Food & Wine Festival[edit]

Sands bethlehem poker room phone number

The hotel hosts the yearly Lehigh Valley Food & Wine Festival, held at the end of May/early June to benefit the culinary and hospitality program at Northampton Community College.[18]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^'PA Gaming Control Board Approval'(PDF). PA Gaming Control Board. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
  2. ^'PA Gaming Control Board Renews Slots License For Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem - Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board'. gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
  3. ^ abAssad, Matt (April 12, 2014). 'Sands Casino cracks down on bus riders'. The Morning Call. Allentown, PA. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  4. ^Radzievich, Jon Harris, Nicole. 'Sands Bethlehem casino to be sold to Alabama Indian tribe for $1.3 billion'. Lehigh Valley Business Cycle. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
  5. ^'Las Vegas Sands selling Bethlehem casino for $1.3 billion'. lehighvalleylive.com. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
  6. ^Backover, Justin; Lewis, Will (January 15, 2019). 'Sands Bethlehem expansion plans include 300-room hotel, possible water park'. Allentown, PA: WFMZ-TV. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  7. ^Harris, Jon (May 31, 2019). 'The deal is complete: Sands Bethlehem casino is now owned by Wind Creek Hospitality'. The Morning Call. Allentown, PA. Retrieved 2019-07-20.
  8. ^Gore, Leada (July 16, 2019). 'Sands Casino renamed by Poarch Creek, now known as Wind Creek Bethlehem'. The Birmingham News. Retrieved 2019-07-20.
  9. ^ abHarris, Jon (June 10, 2020). 'Wind Creek Bethlehem's sportsbook, to be built in current home of Buddy V's, plans to open in November'. The Morning Call. Allentown, PA. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  10. ^ abBresswein, Kurt (November 18, 2020). 'Wind Creek Bethlehem now open for sports betting in newly renovated space'. LehighValleyLive. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  11. ^'Venue - Sands Bethlehem Event Center'. Sands Bethlehem Event Center. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
  12. ^'Sands Event Center to expand, with new balcony, before 2nd anniversary Howard Kulp Architects'. www.hkulparchitects.com. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
  13. ^Moser, John J. (February 12, 2012). 'Sands Bethlehem Event Center: Here's what it looks like, what's ahead, and why it will succeed'. The Morning Call. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  14. ^Olanoff, Lynn (May 16, 2012). 'Sands Bethlehem Event Center holds grand opening before Incubus concert'. The Express-Times. Advance Publications. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  15. ^Moser, John (November 10, 2017). 'Janet Jackson seeks respect, wins with hits, at Sands Bethlehem Event Center'. The Morning Call. Retrieved November 13, 2018. But it also wasn’t a surprise when, after all that, Jackson told the sold-out crowd, “Get the point? Good, let’s dance,” and spent most of the rest of the 34-song show doing a litany of hits.
  16. ^Moser, John J. (July 18, 2018). 'Britney Spears' Vegas-style show borders on boring at Sands'. The Morning Call. Allentown, PA. Retrieved 2018-07-20.
  17. ^Darrow, Chuck (November 1, 2011). 'Sands opens shopping mall'. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
  18. ^'Lehigh Valley Food & Wine Fesitval'. Lehigh Valley Food & Wine Festival Website. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
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Contents

Ten of Pennsylvania’s 12 casinos house poker rooms, but the sizes and offerings vary quite a bit.

We’ll take a look at the four poker rooms in the eastern part of the state: Mohegan Sun,Mount Airy,Sands, andHollywood Casino.

Mohegan Sun Pocono poker

The Mohegan Sun Pocono poker room in Wilkes-Barre has 18 cash-game tables, which is a decent amount for the region.

On most days, Mohegan Sun offers two daily tournaments — one at 11 a.m. and one at 7 p.m. — to go along with the Sit & Go tournaments offered in the poker room. On the promotional front, Mohegan Sun has an ongoing high-hand jackpot promotion that pays out three times daily.

Stakes and games typically available at Mohegan Sun Pocono are:

Sands bethlehem poker room review
  • $1/$2 no limit hold’em
  • $1/$3 no limit hold’em with no-max buy-in
  • $2/$5 no limit hold’em
  • $10/$20 H.O.S.E. (A $10/$20 HOSE game with a full kill is available on Thursdays)
  • $4/$8 Omaha 8 or better with a kill
  • $2/$4 limit hold’em
  • $1-$5 seven card stud
  • State-approved games available upon request

Mount Airy poker

Mount Airy Casino in Mt. Pocono offers a small assortment of low-limit poker tables. The nine-table poker room is located a bit off the beaten path (on the third floor of the casino) and caters mainly to low-stakes locals and visitors. In fact, there’s not more than a blurb about poker on the casino’s website.

The casino doesn’t run daily tournaments on the regular, nor does it offer any special promotions beyond some jackpot-type promotions.

Stakes and games typically available at Mount Airy are:

  • $2/$4 limit hold’em
  • $3/$6 limit hold’em
  • $1/$2 no limit hold’em
  • $2/$5 no limit hold’em
  • State-approved games available upon request

Sands Bethlehem poker

Sands Bethlehem is theking of poker in the northeast region of the state and one of the larger poker rooms in any region.

Sands Casino Bethlehem Poker Room

The poker room is centrally located in the casino and boasts 30 cash-game tables. The tournament schedule is bit sparse considering the size of the room, as on average you’ll only find five daily tournaments throughout the week.

Sands offers a nice assortment of promotions, including a bad-beat jackpot and high hand bonuses at select times, but the big draw at its poker room are the amenities. From the complimentary beverages to massage services, Sands offers a lot of the luxuries one would only expect to find in a Las Vegas Strip casino. The poker room is close to 24-hour eateries within the casino and also offers tableside dining from 8 a.m. to midnight.

Check out what games are currently running at the casino and the size of the jackpot on Sands’ website.

Stakes and games typically available at Sands Bethlehem are:

  • $1/$2 no limit hold’em
  • $2/$5 no limit hold’em
  • $5/$5 no limit hold’em
  • $5/$10 no limit hold’em
  • $10/$25 no limit hold’em
  • $3/$6 limit hold’em
  • $5/$10 Omaha 8 or better
  • $1/$3 pot-limit Omaha
  • State-approved games available upon request

Sands Bethlehem Poker Room Phone Number

Hollywood Casino

Located at the iconic Penn National Racecourse in Grantville, Hollywood Casino’s poker room has 16 tables, and like Mount Airy, mainly caters to low-limit players.

Hollywood Casino at Penn National offers one of the best tournament selections in the area, with one to two tournaments most days.

Hollywood Casino offers a bad-beat jackpot (see how large it is on the casino’s website), as well as a high-hand promotion at select times. Other perks of playing at Hollywood Casino include call-ahead seating and weekend massage rates of $1/minute.

Stakes and games typically found at Hollywood Casino at Penn National are:

Sands Bethlehem Poker Room Review

  • $1/$2 no limit hold’em
  • $2/$5 no limit hold’em
  • $2/$4 limit hold’em
  • $1/$2 pot-limit Omaha 8 or better
  • State-approved games available upon request