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Hollywood Casino in Grantville, located about a two hour drive from Parx and a one hour drive from Sands, seems to have suffered the most from the launch of the two updated poker rooms. The casino’s card room was on a hot streak last year, regularly posting Y/Y gains in the 20-30% range. Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem Poker Room Overview - CLOSED Part of Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem. The poker room at Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem features 36 tables spreading your favorite live action games 24/7. Play limit and no-limit Texas Hold 'Em; Stud; and Omaha, with limits starting at $3 and $6 in a comfortable smoke free environment.

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

• Located just over an hour outside of Philadelphia, Wind Creek Poker Room (formerly known as Sands Bethlehem) is one of the top choices for poker players in Pennsylvania. The poker room is open 24/7, features 26 tables, and is open to anyone 21+.
• See 30 photos and 1 tip from 479 visitors to Sands Poker Room. 'The outlet stores are cute!'

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]

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]

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 Casino Poker Tournaments

Nightlife[edit]

• Molten
• Coil Lounge
• Vision Bar

Shopping[edit]

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]

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.

The poker room at the Sands Regency Casino Hotel is named 'Mom's Poker Room'. It's a misnomer. It should be called, 'Grandpa's Poker Room' – filled as it often is with older local guys. Even so, it's a lively and noisy place, located in what may be the casino with the best bargain rooms in Reno.

The Sands is trying hard to keep its small, three-table room vibrant. It's open seven days a week, going until the last game breaks at 1:00 AM or so. They spread two $25 no-limit tournaments every day, at 10:00 AM and 7:00 PM. Players get a great deal. Just $1 of the buy-in goes to the house. These are bounty tournaments as well, with $5 of the buy-in awarded for every player knocked out. They tend to last about two hours.

The standard game that gets going once the morning tournament ends is $3/6 limit hold'em. Other games are spread at the customer's request. But the once-weekly Omaha-8 game, that used to be spread on Tuesday evenings, has been discontinued for lack of interest. No-limit hold'em is sometimes spread on Fridays and Saturdays, with $1/2 blinds and a $300 maximum buy-in.

The house rakes 10% with a modest $3.50 maximum per pot. There's an additional $1 drop that funds a progressive bonus hand promotion for players who hit quads or straight flushes. Players earn $.80/hour with their player's cards, and get free drinks while playing.

The room is unenclosed – more a squared-off space without complete walls. It is somewhat depressing, with low ceilings (with mirrors on them), cheap looking tables, older, somewhat dirty chips, and smoking. The casino, in fact, promotes the room as a smoking room. Not surprisingly, it attracts many smokers – shut out as they are from all of the non-smoking rooms these days.

I visited on a weekday evening and played some $3/6. I was the only 'non-regular' player, and the only player without gray hair. I was literally called 'Sonny' when I sat down – and I'm 51! Though the room itself was depressing, the players and staff were anything but. They were friendly, warm, and welcoming. And they all seemed to know each other. I felt like I was stopping in on an inviting home game for a bunch of retirees.

The play of these guys was, for the most part, moderately tight and extraordinarily passive. Were it not for me, I don't think the hand would have been raised pre-flop more than 10% of the time. Typically, three or four players saw the flop for $3. The flop was often checked around. It was not a tough game to beat.

Reno is going through a tough time right now, with the slowed economy. Even so, the Sands is trying its best to attract tourists. The casino is now offering an $18/night rate. Though I didn't stay in one of the casino's rooms, other players told me that they were the largest in downtown Reno. The food, at any of four restaurants, is also very reasonably priced. There are 99-cent shrimp cocktails from the Pipeline Lounge. And the steak buffet, at the restaurant eponymously named 'The Steak Buffet', is only $12.99. Not a bad deal.

As a non-smoker, I can't say I'd return to the poker room, though I surely would feel welcome and at ease if I did come back. Without question though, if you're a smoker and like small no-limit tournaments or easy low-limit hold'em action, this is a great spot to play.

The Sands Casino Poker Room

Terrible's Sands Regency Casino Hotel

Sands Casino Poker Room Schedule

345 North Arlington Ave.

Reno, Nevada

Sands Casino Poker Room Bethlehem

775-348-2200

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