The bi-level mall represents the next phase of expansion among Pennsylvania's gambling halls, as they strive to look more and more like their Atlantic City rivals and offer shopping and entertainment centers in addition to gambling.
The Shoppes at Sands is connected to the cavernous casino and serves as a bridge to the new hotel.
President Robert DeSalvio said the mall was part of Sands' progression into a fully integrated destination, a signature of parent company Las Vegas Sands Corp. The company owns similar casino resorts in Las Vegas, Macau, and Singapore, all with hotels, malls, and celebrity-chef restaurants.
The nearly three-year-old Sands Bethlehem operation - which sits on the former Bethlehem Steel site - added restaurants behind celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse in its first year. In July 2010, it added poker, blackjack, and other table games. Then came the hotel.
The Sands plans to add new meeting rooms by March 1 for conventioneers and groups, followed by a 3,000-seat events center in May. It plans to host its first show there May 16.
Numbers released Thursday by the state Gaming Control Board showed Sands Bethlehem led the state in gross table-games revenue for January, eclipsing longtime leader Parx.
With 135 tables, the Sands grossed $9,995,786, while Parx's 184 tables took in $9,705,806. Harrah's Chester and SugarHouse finished third and fourth, respectively, showing tables' strength in the eastern part of the state.
Thus far, Las Vegas Sands Corp. has invested close to $1 billion into the Bethlehem property, now the biggest among the 10 casinos currently open in Pennsylvania. (On Tuesday, Valley Forge Casino Resort announced that it will open March 31 at the Valley Forge Convention Center, the state's 11th casino.)
Gaming analysts say the Sands' footprint enables it to keep adding on customer amenities.
