Pocono News Section

Sands Casino Resort Opens In Bethlehem

Sands Casino Resort Opens In Bethlehem - Friday, May 22, 2009 at 6:02PM EST

BETHLEHEM, NORTHAMPTON COUNTY --Folks in northeastern Pennsylvania have one more place to play the slots. The Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem opened Friday to an anxious crowd. And a famous chef made an appearance.
Hundreds of hopeful gamblers swarmed the slots Friday morning. Sandy Johnson of Laury’s Station says, "I took off today. Once in a lifetime. Never been to an opening of a casino.”

After two years of construction, the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem opened on old steel land. Cele Chuplis drove from Schuylkill County. "My girlfriend lives here. My boyfriend lives here. So we're here the first day to see what’s going on," she said.

The new Sands has 3,000 slots and 4 restaurants including Emeril's Chop House. The crowd chanted the celebrity chef's name as he prepared to open his first restaurant in the northeast U. S.

Guests were impressed. Carol Machain of Bethlehem says, "It's really nice. My dad used to work in Bethlehem Steel -from coal country region so I wanted to see what they did. They did a great job."

Casino officials expect 4 to 5 million visitors this year. Despite the recession, the Sands president says it's a good time to open. Robert DeSalvio says, "What people are doing is they're staying close to home. Looking for more options for entertainment that are close."

The casino will now stay open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year - bringing back a new hustle and bustle to once silenced steel land.