When the regulatory framework for the casino industry in Pennsylvania was designed, it allowed a maximum of 5,000 slot machines per property. Not a single casino came close to hitting that number. Indeed, in the post-Covid era, resorts are requesting that slots be reduced, according to Penn Bets.
The latest is Wind Creek Bethlehem, which requested that a net of 655 games be removed from the floor, a request approved by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board on June 15. By the numbers, the casino will remove 983 existing machines while adding 328 new games with more amenable styles and brands favored by the public.
During Covid restrictions, many casinos reduced the number of machines to accommodate social distancing. The removal often had little or no impact on the revenue. Rebecca Gorgas, director of gaming operations for Wind Creek, told the board that fewer than half the existing slots are in use at any given time, and only 70 percent during busy times.
Reconfiguring the gaming floor with more space between the machines, “with less physical congestion and crowding,” will give customers a heightened sense of comfort and safety, Gorgas said of the process, which is expected to take place over the next 10 months.
