Casino News

Sands opens Bethlehem casino

2009-05-22 17:40:02

Las Vegas Sands has added a new casino to its ranks, with a new venue in Pennsylvania officially opening its doors.

The Sands Casino Resort is located in Bethlehem - at the site of a former steel plant - and began operating today (Friday May 22nd).

It is the eighth casino to open in the state and features 3,000 slot machines, in addition to four restaurants.

Guests appeared to be keen to experience the $743 million resort, with hundreds heading on to the floor after it opened 20 minutes ahead of schedule.

Ahead of the launch, president of Sands Bethlehem Bob DeSalvio told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he expects there to be high interest over the Memorial Day weekend.

"We put together an aggressive media campaign to let folks know we're here. This area has a rich tourism history and we have a tremendous location," he said.

The Pew Charitable Trusts' Philadelphia Research Initiative recently found that 53 per cent of Philadelphia residents back plans to bring a casino to their city.