In 1989, as the world was going to hell, Janet Jackson was coming into her own. The pop star's ascent and the planet's downward slide intersected neatly on Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, a. Park MGM, formerly Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, is a megaresort hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States.The hotel, with a height of 360 ft (110 m), has 32 floors, including a 102,000-square-foot (9,500 m 2) casino floor with 1,400 slot machines, 60 table games, and 15 poker tables. It is owned and operated by MGM Resorts International. Jul 31, 2019 Janet Jackson’s former chef, one Ricardo Macchi, claims that the singer and boyfriend Rene Elizondo illegally used Macchi’s name to obtain a variety of prescriptions from a Malibu pharmacy. The Los Angeles Superior Court file in Macchi v. Jackson contains two marvelous exhibits, both of which are reproduced here along with a key excerpt from.
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 date | May 22, 2009; 11 years ago |
| Theme | Industrial |
| No. of rooms | 302 |
| Total gaming space | 139,000 sq ft (12,900 m2) |
| Signature attractions |
|
| Notable restaurants |
|
| Casino type | Land-based |
| Owner | Poarch Band of Creek Indians |
| Architect | RTKL Associates |
| Previous names |
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| Renovated in | Casino floor expansion (late 2009-2010), Hotel (early 2011), Shopping mall (late 2011-2012) |
| Website | Casino 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]
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]
- ^'PA Gaming Control Board Approval'(PDF). PA Gaming Control Board. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
- ^'PA Gaming Control Board Renews Slots License For Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem - Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board'. gamingcontrolboard.pa.gov. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
- ^ abAssad, Matt (April 12, 2014). 'Sands Casino cracks down on bus riders'. The Morning Call. Allentown, PA. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
- ^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.
- ^'Las Vegas Sands selling Bethlehem casino for $1.3 billion'. lehighvalleylive.com. Retrieved 2018-03-08.
- ^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.
- ^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.
- ^Gore, Leada (July 16, 2019). 'Sands Casino renamed by Poarch Creek, now known as Wind Creek Bethlehem'. The Birmingham News. Retrieved 2019-07-20.
- ^ 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.
- ^ abBresswein, Kurt (November 18, 2020). 'Wind Creek Bethlehem now open for sports betting in newly renovated space'. LehighValleyLive. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
- ^'Venue - Sands Bethlehem Event Center'. Sands Bethlehem Event Center. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
- ^'Sands Event Center to expand, with new balcony, before 2nd anniversary | Howard Kulp Architects'. www.hkulparchitects.com. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
- ^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.
- ^Olanoff, Lynn (May 16, 2012). 'Sands Bethlehem Event Center holds grand opening before Incubus concert'. The Express-Times. Advance Publications. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
- ^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.
- ^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.
- ^Darrow, Chuck (November 1, 2011). 'Sands opens shopping mall'. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
- ^'Lehigh Valley Food & Wine Fesitval'. Lehigh Valley Food & Wine Festival Website. Retrieved 2017-08-23.
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As Rodney Butler walks through the dark halls of the Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Connecticut, he laments that the 4,500 slot machines throughout the establishment that he considers home are turned off.
It’s “unbelievable,” Butler said. “They should be clinging and clanging right now.”
Foxwoods, in Mashantucket, Connecticut, is one of the largest casinos in the world. It’s owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, for which Butler is the chairman. He says that up until the coronavirus, COVID-19, came to the United States, the casino had never shut its doors.
“Since 1992, we have weathered hurricanes, blizzards, power outages … the [2008] financial crisis, and the doors have always stayed open,” Butler said.
© ABC News A 'Wheel of Fortune' game is left in the dark at the Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Connecticut, which has been closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Across the country, from Las Vegas to Atlantic City, casinos are facing a risk of crumbling under the immense weight of the economic shutdown caused by COVID-19.
“Nobody’s paying rent, so we have no gaming income. No lease income,” Butler said. “There’s no tax base here on the reservation. So it’s costing us a couple of million a week just to stay closed.”
MORE: For tribes, casinos fund what the government doesn't. Now, they're closed.Since closing, Butler said his tribe has seen unemployment numbers rise to 99% of the population as the casino provides most of the reservation’s jobs. Six weeks ago, the casino furloughed 5,000 of its employees' jobs.
“It’s impossible to work at home when it’s a one-on-one interaction and I’m serving you a meal or I’m dealing you cards and showing you a great time,” Butler said.
In Las Vegas, a similar barren scene where padlocks adorn casino doors. The iconic fountain at the Bellagio Resort and Casino, with its soaring choreographed water shows, has gone still.
© ABC News Rodney Butler is chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which owns and operates the Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Connecticut.Devon Alarid, a showgirl in Las Vegas, is now out of a job and hoping that an Instagram show she’s created with other performers in the city will help their community raise money for each other.
“There’s a lot of emotions around it,” she said of the virus’ impact on the Las Vegas economy. “It’s heartbreaking. I had so many goals and plans and exciting things I was looking forward to and it all just upped and vanished.”
Clark County Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick told ABC News that the “top 100 employers for the entire state are in” the 6-mile area that comprises Las Vegas. She said that gaming accounts for 78% of the state’s overall budget but at the moment, there’s “no gaming [and] no liquor.”
MORE: Workers want virus protections before casinos reopenAs states begin to reopen, these bastions of gambling, wining and dining and nightlife are preparing for the groundswell of pent up partying. Butler, however, isn’t sure if it’ll come.
Slot Machine For Sale
“A lot of this is gonna be dictated by the medical professionals but, more importantly, just [the] psychology of people and how comfortable they’re gonna feel going back out in public,” Butler said.
Butler said the casino normally welcomes 15,000 to 20,000 people on any given day in addition to the 5,000 people who work there. With all the modes of viral transmission inside a casino — chips, cards, cash, dice and drinks — the staff is preparing with certain social distancing and decontamination measures.
For one, hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes are everywhere. Butler says they’ll also have every other slot machine open to create some level of social distancing and that people will have their body temperatures checked as they enter the building.
“We’re really enforcing social distancing. That’s why some of the high-contact areas, like bingo, like the buffet — we’re not gonna be opening those in the first round,” he said.
© ABC News Foxwoods Resort and Casino in Connecticut plans to space out open slot machines so that every other one is being used in order to allow for social distancing.Blackjack will be back, albeit with a large sheet plexiglass between the dealer and those playing.
“So, the partitions are in place. We’re going to reduce the layout so it’s three people that are playing, and that will be the max that we’ll allow to play on a Blackjack table in this scenario at a time,” said Bryan Hayes, vice president of analytics and slot operations at Foxwoods.
Hayes, who is one of the people that heads gaming for the casino, said the casino normally switches out cards at their tables every day. But he said that with the coronavirus pandemic, their plan is to swap out the cards “much more frequently than we do normally.”
“So hourly intervals, between one hour and four hours,” Hayes said. “We’ll be swapping the cards out and the longest they’ll be on the table is about six [hours].”
He said they’re also evaluating options for the most “efficient and effective” way to clean chips.
Janet Jackson Slot Machine Machines
But like most casino resorts today, Foxwoods isn’t just a casino. It’s also a hotel and two entertainment venues. Monique Sebastian, vice president of entertainment, says their biggest venue, which has nearly 4,000 seats and has hosted stars like Janet Jackson, Jerry Seinfeld and John Legend, will be shut down for the foreseeable future.
© ABC News Foxwoods Resort and Casino has had to furlough its 5,000 employees during the coronavirus pandemic, according to interim CEO Rodney Butler.Janet Jackson Slot Machine Game
Sebastian said they’ve already canceled all the venue’s shows for April, May and June. While their first show is still scheduled tentatively for July 10, she said it really depends on whether they have a plan in place and what government officials are advising.
“We are going to have to take many preventative measures,” Sebastian said of bringing people back into the venue. “There are going to be some shows … that we’re going to have to postpone until we are ready and feel confident that we can provide [guests with] the best experience possible.”
Still, Sebastian believes that with time and despite the staggering setbacks, live events will bring people back together again.
“Entertainment provides something you cannot find anywhere else,” she said. “It makes you feel alive. It makes you happy and sad, and it takes you back to a different place. … It makes you relive memories.”