The sale of Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem to MGM Resorts International is off, according to multiple unnamed sources cited by the Allentown Morning Call.
Officially, neither Sands Bethlehem parent Las Vegas Sands nor MGM has publicly acknowledged that sales discussions were even occurring. However, the Morning Call broke the story in March that MGM Resorts had offered nearly $1.3 billion to buy the casino. The news broke after Sands Bethlehem CEO Mark Juliano sent an internal letter to employees informing them that there was an interested buyer for the property.
Sands officials never commented on any pending sale. LVS spokesman Ron Reese, in comments last week to the newspaper, said only, “We’ve never confirmed that sale talks were happening, but I can say that we will continue to operate Sands Bethlehem.” In that respect, Reese addressed the gaming expansion bill just passed by the state Senate, reiterating that a planned $90 million expansion of the property could be canceled in the face of newly expanded gaming, including iGaming and slots in bars, restaurants and clubs.
“Any future investment in Sands Bethlehem will be dictated by the actions of the state legislature,” Reese said. “If job-killing policies that expand gambling are put in place, it’s infeasible to reinvest in this property.”
