Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem laid off 80 people, less than a year after opening, The Morning Call of Allentown, Pa., reported.
Most of the employees are food services workers in the four restaurants run by the casino. Sands president Robert DeSalvio said with 89 table games being added as early as July, and a hotel scheduled to open in May 2011, he hopes many of the workers will be brought back to work.
Within months after the casino opened last May with 3,000 slot machines, Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson said revenues were not meeting expectations. Sands initially projected the casino would bring in $465 million a year in gross terminal revenue, which is the money left after all winners are paid. But based on revenue in the first 39 weeks of this fiscal year, Sands appears likely to generate less than $250 million this year. However, the recession has hurt most casinos.
Sands said it plans to hire 400 people to begin opening tables games as early this summer and another 100 will be hired when the hotel opens in May 2011.
