Wind Creek Hospitality, an affiliate of the Poarch Creek Indians, announced March 9 that it is buying Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, Penn., for $1.3 billion.

WCH owns and operates nine gaming and entertainment facilities located in six jurisdictions across the United States and Caribbean, including three casino resorts on the Tribe’s reservation lands in Alabama.

The Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, which will be integrated into the Wind Creek Hospitality portfolio, is a best-in-class, Las Vegas-style resort, located in the heart of the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania, approximately 80 miles from New York City.

The new property’s amenities include a 282-room AAA four diamond hotel, a 183,000 square foot casino floor featuring 3,000 slots and electronic table games, 200 table games, numerous food and beverage outlets, a 150,000 square foot retail mall, and a multi-purpose event center.

Stephanie Bryan, Tribal chair and CEO of the Poarch Creek Indians, said the purchase will help “secure a long and prosperous future for our tribe.”

The deal requires approval from Pennsylvania gambling regulators, a process that could take a year.

Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem opened in 2009 on the site of Bethlehem Steel’s former headquarters plant, transforming what was then the nation’s largest abandoned industrial complex into an $800 million destination that lured gamblers from New York and New Jersey. Sands later added a shopping mall, performing arts venue and 300-room hotel.