Sands Casino Leading New Trend with Stadium Gaming

Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem recently unveiled their newest offering: live electronic table games in a “stadium” setting.

This format consists of rows of electronic table games that surround larger electronic monitors in the middle of the machines. The end result is a unique stadium look that offers something different than traditional rows of slot machines and other electronic games.

Sands Bethlehem’s goal is to attract more young gamblers, who, as we’ve discussed before, don’t like slot machines.

Another feature of stadium gaming includes using hybrid table games that combine the feel of live dealer play with the quicker pace of slot machines.

Macau has already been using this combination to supplement their live dealer tables. And Sands Bethlehem is one of the first U.S. casinos to use stadium gaming/hybrid casino machines to draw players.

As McCall reports, nobody is certain if these gaming machines will be the next big thing in gambling. But Sands is the first American casino to go all-in, paying $5 million to remove their juice bar (Infusion) and replacing it with the 150-machine stadium setup. The casino has also hired 40 workers to man the new gaming area.

Mohegan Sun, near Wilkes-Barre, and Parx Casino, near Bensalem, have installed 20 and 50-seat stadium gaming areas respectively. But neither of these casinos have enough machines to make a true stadium area yet.

Sands CEO Mark Juliano, on the other hand, thinks that it’s a great idea to get ahead of the trend now by adding more stadium gaming seats than any other U.S. casino.

“We thought about phasing it in, but decided if we’re going to do it, let’s do it big, and let’s do it right,” said Juliano. “We figured it would take something this size to create an energy, to make it a place that people gravitate to.”

Sands hasn’t started marketing their latest offering yet because they still want to work out the bugs. However, they’re planning a grand opening in either late July or early August.

And as Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board spokesman Richard McGarvey points out, other casinos within the state are likely to follow suit if stadium gaming works out.

“You can bet they’re all watching to see what happens at Sands,” said McGarvey. “If this turns out to be popular, they’ll all want them.”