The property boasts 3,399 slot machines and 178 tables, all of which will be managed and monitored by a suite of Scientific Games Systems products, including SDS, CMP, iView 4, TableView, Beverage Ordering Service System (BOSS), and Servizio. 1 day ago  Wind Creek eventually reopened in late June with fewer slot machines, a reservation system and enhanced cleaning efforts. About 1,400 employees were called back to work for the reopening, and Wind.

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]

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.

Looking for the hottest action in the Christmas City? Wind Creek Bethlehem is your place. And with 139,000 square feet of real estate plus a 302-room hotel, you don’t need to even venture off the casino property to gain a complete experience.

Within the casino’s walls contain some of the best casino games, dining options, entertainment, and promotions west of New Jersey.

So if you haven’t been here, it’s definitely worth booking a stay and checking out. And like most Philadelphia-based casinos, the place is more than laden with history. So if you’re a history buff, you have even further incentive to come to the area.

Let’s look at some history before we go into the casino and discover how you will experience the greatest casino gaming atmosphere in the Pennsylvania gambling scene.

Wind Creek Bethlehem History

On December 20th, 2006, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board awarded the future standalone casino a slots license just in time for Christmas. Nice gift for the city with a matching nickname, right?

But on May 22nd, 2009 Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem opened its doors. Soon after opening, they granted the casino a table gaming license, which introduced 180 tables to the casino featuring favorites like real money blackjack, poker, and others.

The casino remained untouched for five years until Sands unveiled a plan to expand the casino in November 2016. Expansion plans called for renovations to the casino gaming floor plus two restaurants.

In March 2018, Las Vegas Sands sold the property to Wind Creek Hospitality for $1.3 billion. They completed the sale in May 2019 and subsequently changed the name to Wind Creek Bethlehem in July.

And in 2020, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board granted Wind Creek approval to launch sports betting. At the time of this writing, the Sportsbook is under construction and planned to include 79 TVs, 13 self-serve betting kiosks, eight teller windows, and an online sports betting option.

So, as you can decipher, Wind Creek Bethlehem is still growing and you can safely bet that it’s not done expanding just yet.

But what do they have for you now?

Let’s go into the casino and find out.

Wind Creek Slots

Wind Creek Bethlehem Casino Gaming

Gaming at Wind Creek Bethlehem is growing nonstop with the number of slot machines, table gaming options, poker room, and upcoming Sportsbook. Let’s look at each individually so you know what to expect when you step through Wind Creek Bethlehem’s doors.

Wind Creek Bethlehem News

You’ll never tire of the endless number of games you can play at the slots. Whether you’re looking for classics or unique themes, you will find them all here. Whether you’re a recreational or high-stakes gambler, the slot room’s penny slots to $100 denominations allow you to play conservative or go for the home run.

Bethlehem Wind Creek

The choice is yours at Wind Creek Bethlehem. So if you like variety, this venue is thriving with it.

The casino has close to 200 table games and as with the slots, variety is its thing. With games like Blackjack, Craps, Caribbean Stud Poker, Let it Ride, Texas Hold ‘em Bonus, and more, the fun never ends here at Wind Creek.

If you’re looking to up your game, head over to the 26-table poker room. Once again, you will find an array of options including limit and no-limit Texas Holdem, Stud, or Omaha. Enjoy the smoke-free atmosphere, table dining, and complimentary beverage service while you stack the chips.

Wind Creek Bethlehem Wheel Slot Machine Jackpots

Wind Creek Bethlehem Dining

Wind Creek Bethlehem offers eight delicious dining options, so it’s a guarantee you never have to venture off the casino to find what you’re craving.

You’re definitely in for a different treat at Emerils.

But Chef Emeril Lagasse isn’t done cooking at his chophouse. If you’re not up for the upscale elegance, no worries. There are still solid options abound here at Burgers and More by Emeril. So, if you want a different, up-to-date twist on your favorite classics, this gourmet burger joint is for you.

Emeril only uses the freshest ingredients from grass-fed meat with the unique flavors in Eastern Pennsylvania. Even if casino gaming itself isn’t your thing, an experience like you’ll find at Burgers and More is worth the trip inside.

Looking for an after-dinner dessert? Carlo’s Bakery has the casino’s best. Need proof? This family-owned bakery was once featured on TLC’s Cake Boss. If that doesn’t sell you, nothing will.

You will find another fantastic option for the greatest desserts in the area at Signature Cakes & Pies. Sweeten up any occasion with a touch of elegance added to these signature desserts.

Chopstick Asian Cuisine is your one-stop-shop for the finest Asian-inspired cuisine in the area.

Now, if you’re looking to start the day off the right way, then Croissanterie is your place. Is there a better combination in the morning than freshly ground coffee coupled with rich croissants?

Looking for a variety? The Market Gourmet Express is where it’s at. Whether you’re in the mood for pizza, hotdogs, burgers, salads, the daily specials, the Market has it all. Finish that awesome meal with coffee and a dessert to complete your one-of-a-kind dining experience.

Perhaps you’re the all-you-can-eat type. If that’s the case, Steelworks Buffet & Grill is your cheerful place. It’s the perfect venue to enjoy a signature cut steak or a potluck of global cuisine. The more choices here, the merrier, right?

Wind Creek Bethlehem Promotions and Nightlife

The casino VIP program at Wind Creek Bethlehem never stops the promotions from coming. The real question I can ask you is this: Which promotion will pique your interest? Maybe it’s the 2021 Atlas Sel Premium Giveaway they had in October 2020?

Alright, let’s talk about the nightlife at Wind Creek Bethlehem. After a hard day of gambling at the casino, you have four stellar options to relax and tune in to some of the hottest world-class and local acts coming to the Philadelphia area.

See the best and brightest stars perform at the Wind Creek Events Center and enjoy free live entertainment at Molten Lounge. Looking for the most energetic atmosphere at the venue? Coil has what you’re looking for.

And if you just want an evening to chill, Vision Bar provides the most relaxing atmosphere at the casino. Grab a cocktail, sink into a lounge chair, and take in the surroundings.

Wind Creek Bethlehem Accommodations and Nearby Attractions

Whether you’re looking for something economical or if you’re in for a fully furnished luxury suite, you’re in luck. Accommodations at Wind Creek Bethlehem offers all of it.

The 1,600 square-foot presidential suite gives you the best in the business, with a master bedroom, a separate living room, dining area, two bathrooms, and a media room. Fancy, right?

Or, if you’re in for something more economical, the Deluxe King Room has you covered with 400 square feet of real estate, a king-sized bed, and free wi-fi. Nothing fancy, but it’s still among the area’s best.

And regardless of where you wish to stay, you’ll love the many amenities that include In-Room Dining, a fitness center, the Steel Magnolia Spa & Salon, an indoor pool, and more.

Wind Creek Bethlehem Wheel Slot Machine Machines

Looking to take a day off the casino gaming?

Well, Bethlehem has its fair share of attractions. While close to the historic city of Philadelphia, you don’t have to venture too far to see for yourself what makes Bethlehem, Pennsylvania a great city within itself.

When in season, the Lehigh University Mountain Hawks basketball team is the area’s number one sports attraction.

But if music is your thing, you’ll love Musikfest, held every August. It is the largest ten-day event in the city, and it annually draws over one-million people to Bethlehem. So if your casino trip coincides, you definitely want to take advantage.

If you love the outdoors, the Lehigh Canal is the perfect place to hike, bike, and fish.

And if arts and culture pique your interest, visit the Zoellner Arts Center, where you’ll find a variety of dramatic musical events throughout the year.

Wind Creek Casino Slot Machines

Conclusion

Wind Creek Bethlehem is the heart and soul of this revitalizing town, symbolic of its location atop the former steel plant. The casino is already laden with a luxury hotel and one of the most exciting gaming rooms in the state.

Combine that with insane promotions that even include vehicle giveaways, and this place is nothing short of contending for the entertainment capital of Pennsylvania.

Have you spent time at Wind Creek Bethlehem? If so, tell us about your experience.