November revenue at Wind Creek casino up overall
Wind Creek Bethlehem recorded a nearly 55% increase in gambling revenue in November compared with the same month last year, but lags far behind other Pennsylvania casinos in sports wagering.
The November 2021 figure is also up over the last two pre-pandemic comparative months, when Wind Creek’s revenue came in around $40 million each month.
Wind’s Creek total came in fifth out of Pennsylvania’s 15 in-person casinos for November. The casino ranked first in table game revenue at $19 million and second in slots dollars ($22.6 million).
In internet gaming and sports wagering, Wind Creek ranked lower. It showed revenue of $815,000 in internet gambling and near the bottom in sports wagering, at $228,000. The latter figure is up about four-fold from the previous November, when Wind Creek posted just $62,065 in revenue. Wind Creek began its sportsbook in November 2020.
Wind Creek received state approval in June 2020 to conduct sports wagering, about the time it reopened but at just 50% capacity due to the pandemic. The casino was also shut down for three weeks during Christmas and New Year’s last year because of a surge in cases.
Those shutdowns lowered capacity and revenue volumes, said Kathy McCracken, Wind Creek’s executive vice president and general manager.
“Otherwise, we have seen positive trends in business volumes,” McCracken said, noting, however, that the casino continues to operate at lower-than-normal capacities because of staffing issues.
McCracken provided charts via email that show for every dollar wagered, “we effectively reinvest 91% back into customers.” She also said casino officials believe the state’s reports “continue to confirm that Wind Creek Bethlehem is the most rewarding place to play in Pennsylvania.”
It wasn’t clear why Wind Creek’s sports wagering numbers came in flat. Casino officials referred questions about sports wagering to its third-party operator, Betfred Sports, and a Betfred official said the company does not comment on individual state results.
“As with most states, Pennsylvania has proven to be very competitive,” Betfred spokesperson Melissa Castillo said, adding states are allowing multiple licenses, which has broadened the number of gaming operators. “Betfred continues to build on our retail and online product offerings to give Pennsylvania residents a robust and extensive sports wagering experience.”
The state’s casinos reported a record $432.5 million in gambling revenue in November, up 48% from pre-pandemic numbers, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. But almost all the growth was from online gaming and sports betting, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. The control board said besides table games, slots and other casino games, other sources of gaming revenue comes from retail and internet sports wagering, fantasy contests and video gaming terminals.
Formerly known as Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, Wind Creek acquired the casino in 2019 from Las Vegas Sands Corp. for $1.3 billion. An affiliate of Alabama’s Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Wind Creek is expanding the casino with a new hotel planned to open next year.
