NEPA Scene Staff

Mohegan Sun Pocono in Wilkes-Barre celebrates 15th anniversary with music and promos throughout November

Mohegan Sun Pocono in Wilkes-Barre celebrates 15th anniversary with music and promos throughout November
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From a press release:

Mohegan Sun Pocono turns 15 next month, so in honor of this historic milestone, full bands will be returning to Breakers during the first weekend of November. The Wilkes-Barre casino will also roll out a $40,000 Anniversary Extravaganza, T-shirt giveaways, a Wheel of Fortune Anniversary Spins event, and more beginning Monday, Nov. 1.

Entertainment

The long-awaited return of full bands at Breakers, one of the top live music bars in the area, is in full swing. In celebration of the 15th anniversary, Wilkes-Barre’s premier blues rock power trio, Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen will hit the stage at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 12. The very next evening on Nov. 13, Ken Norton & The Fuchery are slated for an 8 p.m. show. Highlighting this evening is a very special yet-to-be announced performance from a four-time Grammy Award-nominated, multi-platinum-selling recording artist.

Promotions and giveaways

Other 15th anniversary celebrations are planned throughout the property, such as the $40,000 Anniversary Extravaganza from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 14 where one lucky Momentum member will be selected every 15 minutes to win $1,500 in free slot play, with a grand prize winner taking home a $15,000 cash prize at the end of the night. Momentum members can earn sweepstakes entries by simply playing their favorite slots and tables from Monday, Nov. 1 through Sunday, Nov. 14 with 15X entry multipliers on Tuesdays, Nov. 2 and Nov. 9.

On Friday, Nov. 10 from 5 p.m.-9 p.m., the Wheel of Fortune Anniversary Spins promotion is sure to be a crowd-pleaser as well, as five Momentum members will be randomly selected every 30 minutes to win five free $15 spins on the Wheel of Fortune Mystery Link slot machines.

Another $15,000 in cash is up for grabs with a special anniversary Spin It to Win It promotion on Thursday, Nov. 11 from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. where five winners every 30 minutes will spin the triple prize wheel to try and win the $15,000 cash grand prize.

Exclusive 15th anniversary T-shirts will also be given away on Friday, Nov. 12 starting at noon. The first 500 Momentum members to earn one status point, and then print their voucher at any promo kiosk, can redeem it for a free shirt.

On Saturday, Nov. 13, Momentum members will have the chance to earn a special commemorative edition BrüMate Hopsulator Trio and keep their favorite beverages cold with the most versatile can cooler in the world.

For more information on the 15th anniversary cerebration, visit mohegansunpocono.com.

The history of Mohegan Sun Pocono

As Pennsylvania’s first casino, Mohegan Sun Pocono (1280 Highway 315, Wilkes-Barre) was the first gaming destination that Mohegan Sun’s parent company, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (known as Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority in 2006), launched outside of Connecticut. By this time, MGE’s flagship property in Connecticut, Mohegan Sun, was a massive success story, becoming one of the highest grossing casino and entertainment destinations in the world. With that success, the Mohegan Tribe and MGE looked to expansion.

The very first venture in that plan, of which now has evolved to seven owned or operated properties across the globe, was Mohegan Sun Pocono. Opened in November of 2006, MSP immediately became one of the premier casino destinations in Pennsylvania and played a major role in further expansion of a burgeoning gaming and entertainment enterprise in MGE. The pathway for expanded gaming in Pennsylvania came about after legislation in 2004 allowed a select number of casinos to offer slot-based gaming. MGE saw Northeast Pennsylvania as the perfect opportunity to expand their brand and expertise into a nearby region that had easy access to New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware. Mohegan leadership also anticipated further gaming expansion in the state of Pennsylvania, which came to fruition in 2006 when MSP became the very first destination in Pennsylvania to launch table games. Within 10 years of that launch, Mohegan Sun Pocono had net revenues of roughly $300 million.

Today, MSP, which is located on 400 acres in the hillside of Plains, is home to more than 1,700 slot machines; over 60 live table games, including a poker room; live harness racing throughout most of the year; fine dining; various retail options; a world-class spa; live entertainment in Breakers, Bar Louie, the Keystone Grand Ballroom, and Wise Crackers Comedy Club; and the 230+ room hotel at Mohegan Sun Pocono, which marked a major event in MSP’s history when it opened on Nov. 14, 2013.

Another key milestone came in October of 2019 when the Unibet Sportsbook at Mohegan Sun Pocono held its grand opening. Penn State football legend LaVar Arrington assisted in christening the new venue that featured live betting options, various kiosks, helpful teller booths, food and beverage options, and a 28-foot wide high-def video wall where roughly 40 guests can take in all the major sports action. Along with this brick-and-mortar sports betting option for guests, Mohegan Sun Pocono also provides online sports and iGaming wagering through pa.unibet.com and its associated mobile apps for Android and iPhone.

Mohegan Sun Pocono and its team members, of which there are roughly 100 who have been with the company since day one, have also been committed to various charitable and community-based efforts throughout its history. A longstanding partnership with the United Way of Wyoming Valley has produced regular giveaways and food bank initiatives and, just recently, MSP served as a COVID-19 test site for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre region. In 2016, MSP also updated to a Combined Heat and Power system that reduced energy consumption by 22 percent and limited its carbon footprint by 3,900 metric tons. Pennsylvania-based UGI HVAC Enterprises, Inc. installed the new system and, as part of this project, MSP and HVAC also worked with Penn State Hazelton engineering students as part of their Senior Design Capstone Project, which focused on alternative energy and power generation.

Since its inception, Mohegan Sun Pocono has also contributed more than $1.6 billion in slot and table game tax revenue to the commonwealth through August of 2021, and it plans to continue growing as one of the top casino and entertainment destinations in Pennsylvania.