Wind Creek Casino Barbershop

For the second time this year, Wind Creek Bethlehem and the other Pennsylvania casinos will be forced to temporarily close to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

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In a statement Friday, Wind Creek said it “has committed to paying active salaried and tipped employees,” during the shutdown, which will start at 12:01 a.m. Saturday and is scheduled to expire at 8 a.m. Jan. 4. The casino employs 1,600 people.

During the shutdown, Wind Creek said its casino, restaurants and hotel will be closed. The Wind Creek Event Center and Vision bar will also remain closed.

The Outlets at Wind Creek Bethlehem, meanwhile, will operate at reduced capacity, per the state’s new guidelines of 50% maximum occupancy.

“Wind Creek Bethlehem will continue to work with local and state officials on the evolving situation in the coming weeks,” the casino said.

A little farther north, Mount Airy Casino Resort said in a statement Thursday night that its casino, hotel, spa, golf course and restaurants will be closed to the public during the shutdown. Essential staff will remain on-site to assist with cleaning, sanitizing and maintaining the property.

Mount Airy, in Monroe County, also said it will pay its employees during the shutdown.

As part of a mitigation order announced Thursday by Gov. Tom Wolf, most indoor entertainment venues, including casinos, must temporarily close Saturday.

Pennsylvania casinos have been operating at 50% occupancy for several months. That came after a temporary closure amid the first coronavirus wave, which closed Wind Creek for more than 100 days and, at one point, forced the idling of all 989 commercial and tribal casino properties across the country.

While Wind Creek was closed, which started March 15, the casino paid its then-2,400 employees through the end of May. But, as the downturn entered its third month, Wind Creek furloughed 2,095 workers June 1.

Wind Creek eventually reopened in late June with fewer slot machines, a reservation system and enhanced cleaning efforts. About 1,400 employees were called back to work for the reopening, and Wind Creek hoped to recall more as capacity and business increased.

In July, the casino’s first full month since that reopening, Wind Creek logged gambling revenue of $28 million, which was a 38% year-over-year decline. That was the casino’s lowest full month of gambling revenue since January 2011, when the then-Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem was only about six months into offering table games.

By late September, Wind Creek cut about 450 jobs — about 20% of its payroll — due to significantly lower business volumes.

In October, the last month of state data available, Wind Creek recorded gambling revenue of $33.1 million, a 16% decline from $39.6 million a year earlier.

The casino’s online gambling business continues to grow since it launched the platform in late July. The casino recorded about $596,000 in online gambling revenue in October.

And last month, Wind Creek opened its sportsbook in the space formerly occupied by Buddy V’s Ristorante. But, the casino has yet to offer its online sportsbook.

Wind Creek Casino Barbershop Black River Falls

That could have provided a key revenue source over the next three weeks, as Wolf’s order does not affect online gambling regulated by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

Wind Creek Casino Barbershop Shop

Amid a pandemic that has hammered revenue, Wind Creek has yet to break ground on its planned $100 million hotel expansion. In addition, Wind Creek Hospitality President and CEO Jay Dorris in June said the casino was reconsidering its $250 million plan to transform the old Bethlehem Steel No. 2 Machine Shop into an indoor water park and entertainment complex.

Morning Call reporter Jon Harris can be reached at 484-280-2866 or at jon.harris@mcall.com.