You can always find a thrilling new adventure playing the slots or table games in this cavernous steel mill of a casino. Whether you enjoy great new games or old time favorites, the Sands has something for everyone. There are over 3,000 slot machines which range in denominations from $0.01 to $100.00. Sands Casino: Sands Casino- new, clean and boasts 3000 slot machines. See 1,425 traveler reviews, 112 candid photos, and great deals for Bethlehem, PA, at Tripadvisor. It is situated on the site of the historic Bethlehem Steel plant and located approximately 60 minutes from Philadelphia and the northern New Jersey suburbs and 90 minutes from New York City. 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.

1. New Slot Machines At Sands Bethlehem Casino
2. New Slot Machines At Sands Bethlehem Pa.
3. Shows At Bethlehem Sands
4. Best Slot Machines At Sands Bethlehem

Introduction to Pennsylvania Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

Pennsylvania slot machine casino gambling consists of twelve casinos of which six are pari-mutuel racetracks with slot machines, four are standalone casinos, and two are casino resorts.

Pennsylvania has both minimum and maximum theoretical payout limits. Return statistics are publicly available online.

This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.

Keep Reading … or Watch Instead!

Or … Listen Instead!

Subscribe to my Professor Slots podcast at Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Amazon Audible | Gaana | Stitcher | Pandora | iHeart Radio | Tune-In | SoundCloud | RadioPublic | Deezer | RSS and everywhere else you find your podcasts!

Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Pennsylvania*

The minimum legal gambling age in Pennsylvania depends upon the gambling activity:

• Land-Based Casinos: 21
• Poker Rooms: 21
• Bingo: 18
• Lottery: 18
• Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18

In 2004, the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act passed. This Act legalized slot machines at fourteen locations. Of these locations, gaming licenses have yet to be issued for a standalone casino and a pari-mutuel racetrack with slot machines.

Since July 2010, table games are in Pennsylvania casinos.

In October 2017, the state legislature legalized casino gambling at truck stops, airports, and online. This bill also authorized ten new satellite casinos with location restrictions.

• Satellite casinos of existing casino operators must be within 25 miles of their existing Pennsylvania casino. Further, local municipalities may prohibit such a casino. These satellite casino licenses allow up to 750 slot machines and 50 table games.
• Racetracks and standalone casinos can have up to 5,000 slot machines and 250 table games, while casino resorts can have up to 600 slot machines and 50 table games. Truck stops approved by their county may have up to 5 slot machines.

Casino operators may operate a gambling parlor at any of Pennsylvania’s international and regional airports, assuming successful agreements with the airport authority. None have yet opened, but expected in 2020.

To gamble within a casino resort, players must be a guest there. Put another way, the gaming floors within the casino resorts are not open to the public.

*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.

Slot Machine Private Ownership in Pennsylvania

It is legal to own a slot machine privately in the state of Pennsylvania if it is 25 years old or older.

Gaming Control Board in Pennsylvania

The state gaming commission is the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). The PGCB is responsible for overseeing slot machines and casino gambling in the state.

Two different state gaming commissions are each responsible for the state lottery and charitable gaming.

Casinos in Pennsylvania

There are two casino resorts, four standalone casinos, and six racetracks with slot machines in Pennsylvania.

The largest casino in Pennsylvania is Parx Casino with 3,238 gaming machines during the last week of January 2020.

The second-largest casino is Wind Creek Bethlehem with 3,046 gaming machines during the last week of January 2020.

Commercial Casinos in Pennsylvania

The two casino resorts in Pennsylvania are:

1. Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, 69 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.
2. Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia, 21 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

The four standalone casinos in Pennsylvania are:

1. Mount Airy Casino Resort Spa in Mount Pocono, 31 miles southeast of Scranton.
2. Rivers Casino Philadelphia, 3 miles northeast of the downtown area.
3. Rivers Casino Pittsburgh in the downtown cultural center.
4. Wind Creek Bethlehem, 58 miles north of Philadelphia.

The six pari-mutuel racetracks with slot machines in Pennsylvania are:

1. Harrah’s Philadelphia in Chester, 18 miles southwest of Philadelphia.
2. Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in Grantville, 17 miles northeast of the capital of Harrisburg.
3. Mohegan Sun Pocono in Wilkes-Barre, 15 miles southwest of Scranton.
4. Parx Casino in Bensalem, 19 miles northeast of Philadelphia.
5. Presque Isle Downs & Casino in Erie, 126 miles north of Pittsburgh.
6. The Meadows Casino Racetrack Hotel in Washington, 26 miles south-southwest of Pittsburgh.

New Slot Machines At Sands Bethlehem Casino

Tribal Casinos in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has no federally-recognized American Indian tribes. Therefore, Pennsylvania has no tribal casinos as allowed by the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1989.

However, Pennsylvania is one of the few U.S. states with commercial casinos owned and operated by an American Indian tribe:

1. Mohegan Sun Pocono is owned and operated by the Mohegan Indian Tribe of Connecticut through their Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment corporation.
2. Wind Creek Bethlehem is owned and operated by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians through their Wind Creek Hospitality corporation.

Other Gambling Establishments

As an alternative to enjoying Pennsylvania slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Pennsylvania is:

• North: New York Slots and Lake Erie
• East: New Jersey Slots
• South: Delaware Slots, Maryland Slots, and West Virginia Slots
• West: Ohio Slots

Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Pennsylvania.

Our Pennsylvania Slots Facebook Group

Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Pennsylvania? If so, join our new Pennsylvania slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.

There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in Pennsylvania. Join us!

Payout Returns in Pennsylvania

The theoretical payout minimum for slot machines in Pennsylvania is 85%. Further, the maximum theoretical payout limit may not equal or exceed 100%. Both limits apply to each single play.

The PGCB makes monthly return statistics publicly available for Fiscal Year 2019/2020 for each gaming facility. To calculate player win%, divide payouts by wagers provided in each report.

For February 2020, the player win% at slots for each casino and statewide were:

• Harrah’s: 89.47%
• Hollywood: 89.38%
• Mohegan Sun: 89.63%
• Mount Airy: 90.35%
• Nemacolin: 89.18%
• Parx: 90.43%
• Presque Isle: 89.43%
• Rivers Philadelphia: 90.49%
• Rivers Pittsburgh: 89.68%
• The Meadows: 90.11%
• Valley Forge: 90.25%
• Wind Creek: 89.98%
• Statewide: 89.97%

New Slot Machines At Sands Bethlehem Pa.

For February 2020, the highest player win% went to Rivers Philadelphia at 90.49%, followed closely by Parx and Mount Airy. The lowest player win% went to Nemacolin at 89.18% followed closely by Hollywood Penn National and Presque Isle.

Summary of Pennsylvania Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

Pennsylvania slot machine casino gambling consists of two casino resorts, four standalone casinos, and six racetracks with slot machines. Other locations should still open in 2020.

The theoretical payout limits are a minimum of 85% and a maximum of up to 100%. Monthly return statistics by casino are available online from the state gaming control board.

Annual Progress in Pennsylvania Slot Machine Casino Gambling

In the last year, the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem became Wind Creek Bethlehem, acquired by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians through their Wind Creek Hospitality corporation for $1.3 billion.

Otherwise, there have been numerous casino name changes including:

Shows At Bethlehem Sands

• Lady Luck Nemacolin became Nemacolin Woodlands Resort.
• Valley Forge Convention Center Casino became Valley Forge Casino Resort.
• Mount Airy Resort & Casino became Mount Airy Casino Resort Spa.
• Sugar House Casino became Rivers Casino Philadelphia.

Related Articles from Professor Slots

• ABC27 Harrisburg Evening News: A closer look at casino slot payouts

Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots

• Previous: Oregon Slot Machine Casino Gambling
• Next: Puerto Rico Slot Machine Casino Gambling

Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC

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

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]

Best Slot Machines At Sands Bethlehem

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

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.