Wind Creek Bethlehem, the casino owned by Alabama’s Poarch Band of Creek Indians that formerly was Sands Bethlehem, last week became the fifth Pennsylvania casino since the Covid-19 crisis began in 2020 to request a permanent reduction in its slot machine count.
A filing submitted by the casino to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board seeks authorization to reduce its slot complement by 655, from 2,973 to 2,318.
The casino’s request explained that it “seeks the referenced permanent slot machine reduction based on decreased utilization, to create a more comfortable and engaging experience for its patrons, taking into account added desire for social distancing, with no projected negative impact on revenues to the commonwealth,” according to Penn Bets.
The Wind Creek request comes after similar reductions granted last year to Harrah’s Philadelphia, Mount Airy Casino Resort, Hollywood Casino at Penn National, and Hollywood Casino at The Meadows.
