WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Mohegan Sun Pocono said it will reopen to the public on June 22. Casino officials said that reopening will include safety and social distancing measures. Protective masks will. Since opening Mohegan Sun, a tribal casino, in 1996, MGE, formerly known as the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, has expanded throughout the U.S. And more recently, internationally. Mohegan Sun, which would be the first casino in New England to reinstate poker, is taking its lead from Mohegan Sun Pocono, its sister casino near Wilkes-Barre, Pa., which successfully reopened.

Mohegan Sun Pocono (formerly Pocono Downs and Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs) is a racino located in Plains Township on the outskirts of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The casino features over 2,300 slots, live tables for blackjack, roulette and poker, and a sportsbook offering sports betting. A ⅝-mile (1-kilometer) harness track is also a major attraction.

History[edit]

Mohegan Sun Wilkes

The racetrack itself is as of 2015 now called The Downs At Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Mohegan Sun acquired the Pocono Downs racetrack on January 25, 2005 in a $280 million purchase of the Pocono Downs Racetrack from Penn National Gaming.^[1] Mohegan Sun renamed the property 'Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs,' and began a major expansion. It began operation in November 2006 as the first slots casino in the state of Pennsylvania.

In January 2010, then Governor Ed Rendell signed a bill to legalize table games in Pennsylvania. The Mohegan Sun casino was among the first to receive approval for table games, and planned to hire 600 new employees for the expansion. Table games began operation on July 13, 2010.

In November 2013, Mohegan Sun opened a hotel that is connected to the casino floor.

On January 28, 2019, Mohegan Sun Pocono signed a partnership with Kindred Group to begin sports betting at a sportsbook at the casino along with offering online gambling and sports betting.^[2] Mohegan Sun Pocono became the first casino in Northeastern Pennsylvania to offer sports betting.^[3] On March 29, 2019, Mohegan Sun Pocono applied for a sports betting license;^[4] the license was approved on May 15, 2019. The casino constructed a 1,130 sq ft (105 m²) sportsbook that contains a video wall, 7 sports betting terminals, and 3 teller windows.^[5] The Unibet Sportsbook at Mohegan Sun Pocono opened on October 5, 2019, with former National Football League and Penn State linebacker LaVar Arrington in attendance for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.^[6] Unibet launched online gambling and online sports betting on November 12, 2019.^[7]

On March 18, 2020, Carmine Fusco, who trained and raced horses at The Downs at Poccono Downs, became the first resident of Pennsylvania to die from Coronavirus disease 2019.^[8]

Features[edit]

Dining and shopping[edit]

The facility has fourteen restaurants or food service areas, including a food court, Johnny Rockets, Ruth's Chris Steak House, and Rustic Kitchen

There are also four shops, including a wine and cheese shop.

Off-track wagering[edit]

Mohegan Sun also owns off-track betting facilities in Carbondale, East Stroudsburg, and Allentown.

Gallery[edit]

• Torch near the entrance

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^Mohegan Sun Reports Mixed Results 'Mohegan Sun Reports Mixed Results', Casino City Times, Retrieved on 22 November 2007
2. ^Allabaugh, Denise (January 29, 2019). 'Mohegan Sun Pocono to offer sports betting, online gaming'. The Citizens' Voice. Wilkes-Barre, PA. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
3. ^Blackburne, Carolyn (January 28, 2019). 'Sports Betting Coming to Mohegan Sun Pocono'. Scranton, PA: WNEP-TV. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
4. ^'Mount Airy, Mohegan Sun casinos seek sports-betting licenses in Pennsylvania'. The Morning Call. Allentown, PA. Associated Press. March 29, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
5. ^Harris, Jon (May 15, 2019). 'Mohegan Sun Pocono approved for sports wagering, hopes to take first bets before NFL season starts'. The Morning Call. Allentown, PA. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
6. ^Senior, Chase (October 5, 2019). 'Sports Betting Available at Mohegan Sun Pocono'. Scranton, PA: WNEP-TV. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
7. ^Gelman, Bill (November 7, 2019). 'Unibet Sportsbook And Casino Debuting Nov. 12 With A Massive Library Of Games'. Play Pennsylvania. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
8. ^Pa. (TNS), Matt Bufano-The Citizens' Voice, Wilkes-Barre. 'State's first COVID-19 death has local ties'. Reading Eagle. Retrieved 2020-04-10.

External links[edit]

Coordinates: 41°16′08″N75°49′09″W / 41.2689°N 75.8193°W

With Luzerne County entering the green phase, the Mohegan Sun Pocono casino will reopen at 10 a.m. Monday with various safety measures, including some deactivated slot machines and limited guest capacity, to protect customers against the coronavirus.

The Hotel at Mohegan Sun Pocono will resume accepting reservations Monday and reopen June 28.

Mohegan Sun Pocono closed March 16 to prevent the spread of the virus.

The casino will reopen with safety measures including face masks for all employees and guests, various slot machines deactivated, table game seating reduced and frequent cleaning.

All restaurants and bars will have reduced seating to allow for physical distancing and VIP lounges will have full service stations only. Plexiglass dividers at transactional locations have been installed.

For the initial reopening, guests will be allowed to use only the main valet and hotel valet entrances. The racing entrance will open in the near future.

Areas that will remain closed for the initial reopening will include valet parking, Seasons Buffet, the poker room, pools and gyms.

Additional information on safety measures and all other developments are available at mohegansunpocono.com/updates.

“We feel we are well-prepared for our doors to open and can’t wait to welcome guests to a clean, safe and fun environment, ” Mohegan Sun Pocono President and General Manager Anthony Carlucci said.

Morning Call reporter Andrew Scott can be reached at 610-820-6508 or ascott@mcall.com.

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