Sands Bethlehem to add stadium gambling

The project will be placed in February and add a 150-seat “stadium” station with electronic terminals connected to games run by live dealers, making it the biggest live-dealer setup in the US.

The multimillion-dollar installation will make the state’s most lucrative table games floor even busier, commented Sands Bethlehem CEO Mark Juliano. “We’ve decided to get real aggressive and go right to 150,” Juliano told the gaming board. “As the world moves toward electronics, digital and automated everything, we are trying to keep pace with that.”

Market leader of the Pennsylvania gaming industry, Sands Bethlehem’s 207 table games pulled in more than $200m last year, which was nearly 50pc more than its closest competitor, Parx Casino. However, its new stadium concept will give players even more reasons to go to Sands, giving the feel of a live table but without being overlooked by others.

Parx Casino has proposed a smaller stadium than Sands Bethlehem and could get approval in the next few months. But for Sands, the stadium will be the first in the state and will aim to attract a whole new breed of young gamblers.

Sands also figures to make a hefty profit because of a favorable tax rate for games. Pennsylvania casinos must pay a 55pc tax on slot machines. However, because table games require casinos to hire dealers, supervisors and pit bosses, the tax rate is just 14pc.

The tax rate on the new stadium machines will be the same as on table games, even though they’ll require far fewer employees to run them. Rather than having one dealer at every table, four to eight dealers can run the whole stadium.

The new terminals are expected to entice younger, less experienced players attracted to their $5-per-hand minimum. The terminals will offer blackjack, baccarat, roulette and sic bo on the same machine. A fast player can play multiple games at once.

“The lower limits are important. It’s also important to have the ability to teach a new market how to play. I think it’s a great prospect,” added Keith McCall , a member of the Gaming Control Board. “So many people want to sit at a $5 blackjack table, but can’t, ” remarked Sands table games director Jack Kennedy.