Table Games: What's in the cards for nearby colleges?

The possible arrival of table games at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem this summer has prompted the university to hold a one-hour open forum to give students, faculty and staff a chance to share their thoughts and concerns.

The forum is titled “Table Games: What’s in the cards for area colleges?” It will begin at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 23, in Lamberton Hall.

The Pennsylvania state legislature voted in January to legalize poker, blackjack, roulette and other table games slots casinos in the state. Sands Bethlehem president Robert DeSalvio has said the casino is training dealers and could begin offering the games by July 1 pending approval from the state gaming control board.

The forum at Lamberton Hall will be moderated by Dale Kochard, assistant vice president for community and regional affairs. Panelists will give 10-minute presentations examining the impact of table games before taking questions from the audience.
Tom Hyclak, professor of economics, will talk about the findings from the Lehigh University-South Bethlehem Development Study Group, which he co-chaired with Kochard. The group studied the experiences of other colleges and universities that are located close to casinos.

Carl Robertson, program manager of the Council on Compulsive Gambling, will discuss the attraction of table games.

Madalyn Eadline, director of special projects in the office of student affairs, and Eric Klein, a staff psychologist in Lehigh’s Counseling Center, will talk about the resources available for students who may be at risk for gambling problems.

Refreshments will be provided. If you would like to submit questions by email, send them to mjd4@lehigh.edu. If you have any questions about the forum, please contact one of the following members of the event planning committee: Eadline; Klein; Kochard; Jacqueline Matthews, associate vice president for human resources; or Judy Zavalydriga, manager of employee relations.