Sep 27, 2019 | Entertainment, General News, Keystone Grand Ballroom, Special Events
Alumni stars of SNL to perform in the Keystone Grand Ballroom on Friday, November 29th
WILKES-BARRE, PA (September 27, 2019) – Live from Mohegan Sun Pocono, it’s Friday night! Guests can join in on the laughs as alumni stars of SNL Colin Quinn and Tim Meadows bring the funny to the Keystone Grand Ballroom on Friday, November 29th at 8:00pm.
Tickets start at $25.00 and on sale Monday, September 30th through Ticketmaster at ticketmaster.com. Tickets will also be available at the Mohegan Sun Pocono Box Office located at Player’s Club, subject to availability. Guests who purchase their tickets at the Mohegan Sun Pocono Box Office will receive one voucher per ticket for $10.00 in Free Slot Play, valid on November 29, 2019.
ABOUT COLIN QUINN
Colin Quinn is a stand-up comedian from Brooklyn (okay, Park Slope). From MTV’s Remote Control to Saturday Night Live to Comedy Central’s Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn, Mr. Quinn is not one to take a hint and bow out gracefully. Credits include two Broadway performances: Colin Quinn: An Irish Wake and Colin Quinn: Long Story Short (also an HBO special); two comedy specials: Colin Quinn: Unconstitutional and Colin Quinn: The New York Story, directed by Jerry Seinfeld (both available on Netflix); popular TV shows Trainwreck and Girls, and web series Cop Show, streaming now on LStudio.com. Colin’s first book, The Coloring Book, is now out from Grand Central Publishing. In January 2019, Colin Quinn’s newest one-man show, Red State Blue State, premiered to rave reviews at The Minetta Lane Theatre in New York and was adapted into CNN’s first comedy special in May 2019 and started streaming on Netflix in August 2019.
ABOUT TIM MEADOWS
One of the longest-running cast members in the 41-year history of Saturday Night Live, versatile comedian Tim Meadows crafted some of the series’ most memorable characters during his 10 years on the popular late night show. Such characters included Leon Phelps, “The Ladies’ Man” and Lionel Osbourne, host of the fictional public affairs show, Perspectives, as well as uncanny impressions of OJ Simpson, Ike Turner and Sammy Davis Jr. Meadows played school principal in the hit comedy Mean Girls and co-starred with Adam Sandler and Chris Rock in the blockbuster comedies Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2. Tim co-starred with Andy Samberg in Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping for Universal Pictures and in the Fox hybrid live-action/animated comedy Son of Zorn from Chris Miller and Phil Lord. Currently, Tim can be seen in his lead role in CBS All Access’s No Activity and is a frequent recur on ABC’S hit comedy The Goldbergs and its spinoff, Schooled.
ABOUT MOHEGAN SUN POCONO
Mohegan Sun Pocono, owned by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, was the first destination to bring gaming to Pennsylvania in 2006 and since then has become one of the premier entertainment, gaming, shopping, and dining destinations in the state. Situated on 400 acres in Plains, Pennsylvania, Mohegan Sun Pocono features a 238-room hotel with on-site spa and adjacent 20,000 square-foot Convention Center. It is currently home to 82,000 square feet of gaming space including over 80 live table games, 2,300 slot machines and electronic table games, a variety of dining and shopping options, nightlife, entertainment and live harness racing. Mohegan Sun Pocono is within easy access of New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware. More information is available by calling 1.888.WIN.IN.PA (1.888.946.4672) or visiting our website. Connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, download our app and view us on YouTube.
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Sep 27, 2019 | Breaking News, Community Relations, Employment, Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Gaming, General News, Sports
Coming off the heels of its successful Sportsbook launch in New Jersey in September, UNIBET takes on its second U.S. market in Pennsylvania; UNIBET will continue to invest in growing its U.S. operations where market conditions support a sustainable business model
WILKES-BARRE, PA (September 27, 2019) – Unibet, one of the largest online casino and sports gambling brands in the world, today announced the opening of its retail Sportsbook in partnership with Mohegan Sun Pocono marking the company’s official launch into Pennsylvania, its second U.S. market entry in just one month. Mohegan Sun Pocono’s full destination offering, combined with Unibet’s unbeatable, digital customer experience and data analysis capacity, will create a unique and strong offering in sports betting in the state. Earlier this month, Unibet celebrated the launch of its New Jersey Sportsbook and multi-year partnership with the New Jersey Devils.
The new 1,130-square-foot Unibet Sportsbook at Mohegan Sun Pocono will be open daily from 11 a.m. to Midnight, allowing fans to place their bets on their favorite teams and sporting events. The Unibet Sportsbook – located across from Molly O’Shea’s Irish Pub & Eatery (which will serve food in the lounge) and near the main entrance at Mohegan Sun Pocono – features a 28 foot-wide, high-definition video wall with three additional displays near the sportsbook tables for additional viewing, which is fully customizable allowing it to be transformed into two giant television screens or modified to accommodate up to 16 sporting events at once. The betting lounge also has six, state-of-the-art betting terminals; two teller booths; comfortable seating for up to 40 guests; and a full service bar. The new Unibet Sportsbook is creating 12-14 new jobs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, including tellers, food and beverage servers and floor supervisors.
“We are excited and proud to partner with Mohegan Sun Pocono to welcome patrons to our new Sportsbook and offer a great extension to our online product in one of the largest states to regulate both online sports betting and casino,” said Manuel Stan, Senior Vice President of Kindred Group, which owns Unibet. “We wanted a strong partner who shares our dedication to customer experience and values, and we know that together we will offer Pennsylvanians a truly unmatched in-house and soon-to-come online sports betting and casino experience.”
Betting offerings to start will include NFL, NCAA, NHL, NBA, PGA, professional tennis, boxing, UFC, rugby, NASCAR, MLS, Premier League Soccer, La Liga and Bundesliga. Types of bets will include straight bets, parlays, round robin, fixed odds, money lines, prop bets and in-play betting. Bets can be placed at a designated teller booth or at the sports betting terminals whereby players can search by sport and customize whatever bet they want. Powered by Kambi, a world-leading B2B provider of premium sports betting services, the Unibet Sportsbook offers the best sports betting and entertainment experience around.
“Working with Kindred on this project has been a thrill and to see this first major step come to fruition, with the launch of the state-of-the-art Unibet Sportsbook, is quite an accomplishment,” said Anthony Carlucci, President & CEO of Mohegan Sun Pocono. “This new gaming offering allows us to provide a much anticipated product to our guests, as well as open our doors to a broader audience – and we’re really excited about that opportunity and to officially celebrate at a grand opening on Saturday, October 5th.”
The partnership will be celebrated with a special ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the launch of the Unibet Sportsbook taking place in the lounge on Saturday, October 5th at 11:00am. Special guest and former Penn State Nittany Lion great, LaVar Arrington, will be on hand, as will a guest list of senior leadership, local dignitaries, project partners and officials from Mohegan Sun Pocono’s parent company Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment.
Later this year, Unibet will also launch its Sportsbook and signature casino online, which will be available via Apple and Android mobile devices.
Note to Press
Journalists, photographers and broadcast professionals are welcome to attend the Ribbon Cutting opening event on October 5th by submitting media credentials through Cody Chapman at [email protected].
Press Contacts
For more information or for interviews with Unibet executives, contact: Laura Hall at [email protected] or 917.544.6344.
For more information or for interviews with Mohegan Sun Pocono executives, contact: Cody Chapman at CodyChapman@mohegansuncom or 860.961.4332.
ABOUT UNIBET
Unibet is one of the world’s leading betting and online gaming brands that has operated successfully for 22 years offering online sports betting, casino games, poker and bingo in 20 different languages throughout the UK, Europe, Australia and now the U.S. Unibet’s casino product is currently available online (via website and app) in New Jersey, with the brand owning gambling licenses in the state and also Pennsylvania, with more states to follow. In 2018, Unibet entered the U.S. market establishing headquarters in New York City and launched in New Jersey in June 2019 with its online destination – nj.unibet.com. Unibet now operates an online Sportsbook in New Jersey and Retail Sportsbook in Pennsylvania with its online and app Sportsbook rolling out in the state by end of year. Given its successful partnerships to date, Unibet plans for further U.S. expansion in the near future. Unibet is part of the Kindred Group, one of the largest online gambling companies serving more than 25 million customers worldwide. Fans can follow Unibet on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @UnibetUS.
ABOUT KINDRED GROUP
Kindred Group, one of the world’s leading and largest online gambling operators across Europe, Australia and the United States, has more than 25 million customers worldwide with access to its 11 brands – one being Unibet – having earned more than one billion dollars in online revenues in 2018. Founded in the 1990s, the company provides its members a great form of entertainment in a safe, fair and sustainable environment underscored by its commitment to sports integrity as a founding member of the International Betting Integrity Association (formerly known as ESSA). Kindred Group employs approximately 1,500 people, is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm Large Cap, and is also a founding member of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA). The company is audited and certified by eCOGRA for compliance with the 2014 EU Recommendation on Consumer Protection and Responsible Gambling (2014/478/EU).
ABOUT MOHEGAN SUN POCONO
Mohegan Sun Pocono, owned by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, was the first destination to bring gaming to Pennsylvania in 2006 and since then has become one of the premier entertainment, gaming, shopping, and dining destinations in the state. Situated on 400 acres in Plains, Pennsylvania, Mohegan Sun Pocono features a 238-room hotel with on-site spa and adjacent 20,000 square-foot Convention Center. It is currently home to 82,000 square feet of gaming space including over 80 live table games, 2,300 slot machines and electronic table games, a variety of dining and shopping options, nightlife, entertainment and live harness racing. Mohegan Sun Pocono is within easy access of New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware. More information is available by calling 1.888.WIN.IN.PA (1.888.946.4672) or visiting our website. Connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, download our app and view us on YouTube.
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Sep 25, 2019 | Racing
September 21-24, 2019
There is no denying that we are coming into the home stretch at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono for the 2019 harness racing season. Soon we’ll be taking a look at the horses and humans that are deserving of year-end honors. In the meantime, we still have a full schedule of overnight racing taking place each week, providing plenty of candidates for the Weekly Awards.
PACER OF THE WEEK: FEELING CAM LUCKY
His name may signify good fortune, but for most of 2019, this seven-year-old gelding from the barn of trainer Gilberto Garcia-Herrera hasn’t exactly enjoyed much of it. Coming into an $11,000 condition pace on September 14, Feeling Cam Lucky had raced 25 times this year and had hit the board in 15 of those starts. But despite being in contention so often, he was winless coming into that start, this despite racking up 11 wins in 2018.
Feeling Cam Lucky finally rectified that with a rallying win that night in 1:50:4. Given that shot of confidence, the gelding stepped up in class to meet a $12,000 condition pacing group on Saturday night. Leaving from post position #4 in a field of seven at middling odds of 7-2, he flashed excellent early speed to grab the lead. The pace was slowed down for the second panel, but then Feeling Cam Lucky, with George Napolitano Jr. urging him on, provided a burst on the back stretch, ticking off the third quarter in 27 seconds even.
That strategy shook everybody in the field except 21-1 shot Electric Western, who stayed close in the pocket. For a moment as Electric Western surged, it looked like Feeling Cam Lucky might be in line for another hard-luck loss. But the taste of winning he picked up in his previous start seemed to help, as he fought off Electric Western for the victory in 1:50:2 by 1 ¼ lengths. He has a way to go to catch up with his numbers from last year, but Feeling Cam Lucky might be ready for a winning streak now that fortune has started to turn his way.
Other top pacers this week include: Sweet Rock (Eric Carlson, Wayne Givens), who rallied for a victory in Saturday night’s featured condition pace in 1:50:1; Rockin In the Hills (Anthony Napolitano, Jose Godinez), who scored a win in a condition on Saturday night in 1:49:4, a new career-best and the fastest pacing time of the week at Pocono; and Don’t Think Twice A (Anthony Napolitano, Andrew Harris), who captured Tuesday night’s featured condition pace for mares in a career-best 1:51:1.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: SCIROCCO ROB
Scirocco Rob has been alternating between sizzling miles and breaks of stride of late at Pocono. He came into the $17,500 condition trot on Sunday night with breaks in two of his previous races. Also included in that stretch for the four-year-old gelding was a hard-luck second at the $17,500 level and a victory at the $14,000 level in 1:54:1. Considering the win was in his previous start in Sunday night, it was understandable if some of those bettors who made him an even-money favorite bit their nails while they watched the race.
After all, if Scirocco Rob had followed his recent pattern, he would have gone off-stride. Instead, he started fast, then allowed Whats The Word to speed on by and take the early lead. Throughout the mile, Whats The Word stayed aggressive on the lead, putting up fractions that made it difficult for the rest of the field to stay close without exerting a lot of energy. But Scirocco Rob hung around in his pocket seat, waiting for his moment to move on the leader.
That moment came in the stretch, when driver George Napolitano Jr. tipped him to the outside to go after Whats The Word. The pacesetter was game, but Scirocco Rob, who is trained by Mark Silva, powered past to win it by a half-length in a speedy time of 1:52:1, the fastest trotting time of the week at Pocono. Now that he has won two in a row, those worries of inconsistency seem to be in the rear-view for now for this talented gelding.
Honorable mention on the trotting side this week goes to: Lindy’s Big Bang (Simon Allard, Rene Allard), who picked up his second straight condition win on Saturday night, scoring in 1:53:1; Inner Peace (George Napolitano Jr., Hunter Oakes), who earned his second straight condition victory on Sunday night with a win in 1:55; and Zooming (Tyler Buter, Amber Buter), the 11-year-old veteran who rallied for a condition win on Tuesday night in 1:54:3.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: BURGUNDY B
This three-year-old filly driven by Eric Carslon snuck up from the pocket to win a condition trot on Monday afternoon at 35-1, paying off $73.40 on a $2 win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: GEORGE NAPOLITANO JR.
The meet’s leading driver seems to be getting stronger as the year progresses, as he rolled to at least four driving wins on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: ROBERT CLEARY
The Cleary barn produced the fastest winning time on Sunday night (with Rebel Rouser) and the featured condition pace winner on Monday night (with Vodka On The Beach.)
That will do it for this week at Pocono, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
Sep 20, 2019 | Entertainment, Holiday, Keystone Grand Ballroom, Special Events
Musical holiday event takes place Sunday, December 8th in the Keystone Grand Ballroom
WILKES-BARRE, PA (September 20, 2019) – Guests can celebrate the holiday season with an unforgettable musical event, Merry Christmas Darling: Carpenters’ Christmas, at the Keystone Grand Ballroom at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Sunday, December 8th. Starting at 3:00pm, this holiday show for all ages is sure to delight the audience with that charming Carpenters’ Christmas sound, alongside their classic pop hits.
Tickets are $25.00 and go on sale Monday, September 23rd at 10:00am through Ticketmaster at ticketmaster.com. Tickets will also be available at the Mohegan Sun Pocono Box Office located at Player’s Club, subject to availability. Guests who purchase their tickets at the Mohegan Sun Pocono Box Office will receive one voucher per ticket for $10.00 in Free Slot Play, valid on December 8, 2019.
Merry Christmas Darling: Carpenters’ Christmas is a holiday show that celebrates the classic Carpenters’ Christmas recordings with an equal complement of their biggest pop music hits. The Carpenters have released two classic Christmas albums, as well as two Christmas-themed television specials. Their holiday music is played every season and their Christmas records still top “Favorite Holiday Album” lists every year. Michelle Berting Brett takes center stage with her Nashville band directed by Harry Sharpe. Sharpe and the band have worked with popular music icons including Donna Summer, Wynonna Judd, Sammy Kershaw, Collin Raye, Reba McIntyre, Tanya Tucker, John Michael Montgomery, and Michael McDonald. Merry Christmas Darling: Carpenters’ Christmas has toured coast-to-coast every holiday season since 2013 including SOLD OUT appearances in Las Vegas. Guests will hear fascinating stories and sing along to songs like “Close to You”, “Rainy Days & Mondays”, “We’ve Only Just Begun”, and all holiday favorites. This show will definitely put the family in the holiday spirit!
ABOUT MOHEGAN SUN POCONO
Mohegan Sun Pocono, owned by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, was the first destination to bring gaming to Pennsylvania in 2006 and since then has become one of the premier entertainment, gaming, shopping, and dining destinations in the state. Situated on 400 acres in Plains, Pennsylvania, Mohegan Sun Pocono features a 238-room hotel with on-site spa and adjacent 20,000 square-foot Convention Center. It is currently home to 82,000 square feet of gaming space including over 80 live table games, 2,300 slot machines and electronic table games, a variety of dining and shopping options, nightlife, entertainment and live harness racing. Mohegan Sun Pocono is within easy access of New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware. More information is available by calling 1.888.WIN.IN.PA (1.888.946.4672) or visiting our website. Connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, download our app and view us on YouTube.
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Sep 11, 2019 | Racing
September 7-13, 2019
Normally we would devote this space to the Weekly Awards. But we’re going to take a break this week to detail all of the action from an afternoon an early evening of stakes competition at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. Not only were the $40,000 finals of the Stallion Series held for both two and three-year-old horses, but the $100,000 finals of the Great Northeast Open Series took place.
All totaled, there were 11 stakes races on the 14-race program. Here are the results:
STALLION SERIES 2-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROT
When the 4-5 favorite Next Level Stuff made a break on the first turn, somebody had to step up in this class. Miss Wilia, a 9-1 shot leaving from post #8 in the nine-horse field, did just that. She led gate-to-wire, holding off late charges from Caviart Guilia and Madame Sherry to win it by a head in 1:55:2. Scott Zeron did the driving for trainer Rick Zeron.
STALLION SERIES 2-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACE
38-1 long shot Keystone Eureka was game with a first-over charge. But the 6-5 favorite The Party’s Rockin was tough as nails on the front end. When challenged, the filly trained by Mark Harder and driven by Tyler Buter responded, holding tight to her lead to get it done by a length in 1:52:4 for her third straight victory.
STALLION SERIES 2-YEAR-OLD COLTS AND GELDINGS TROT
The 6-5 favorite Town Victor came in with wins in five of his seven races. He sat the pocket trip in the final behind Loyal Fox Hanover, who set imposing fractions but couldn’t shake the favorite. In the lane, Matt Kakaley guided Town Victor, trained by Rich Gillock, right past the pacesetter to go away for a two-length win in 1:54:4, a new Stallion Series final mark for male freshman trotters.
STALLION SERIES 2-YEAR-OLD COLTS AND GELDINGS PACE
Lake Charles, driven by David Miller and trained by Ray Schnittker, was made the 2-1 second choice and set the early pace. The even-money favorite Captain Groovy sat the pocket and pulled to the outside on the last turn hoping to take over. But Lake Charles was having none of it, pulling away for a convincing 3 ½-length victory in 1:51:3, the fastest pace ever in a 2-year-old Stallion Series final.
STALLION SERIES 3-YEAR-OLD FILLY TROT
Despite leaving from a tough #8 post position, Jezzy’s Legacy, the 8-5 betting favorite, was able to hustle to the front at the quarter. After Tyler Buter rated her well, the filly had to stand tall late as Southwind Storm made a three-wide charge at her late. But Jezzy’s Legacy, trained by Ray Schnittker, held up for a victory in 1:54:1, matching the fastest ever time by a three-year-old trotting filly in a Stallion Series final.
STALLION SERIES 3-YEAR-OLD FILLY PACE
Front-end speed had been the order of the day to that point, but Annie Hill, the 6-5 favorite in this final, chose a different tactic. Tyler Buter guided the filly to a second-over journey before a three-wide move in the lane. The Chris Oakes’ trainee powered on home past pacesetter Sweet Cherry to win by 1 ¼ lengths in 1:50:4, matching the fastest ever Stallion Series final for the group.
STALLION SERIES 3-YEAR-OLD COLTS AND GELDINGS TROT
Driver Yannick Gingras had to work Lindy’s Crazy Hall early to get the lead from the #8 post. But he then rated the 3-1 second betting choice very well, especially through a relaxed second panel. That paid off late, as Lindy’s Crazy Hall fought off the late challenge of betting favorite Kate’s Massive to deliver the win by a head in 1:54:3.
GREAT NORTHEAST OPEN SERIES MARES PACE
The heavy favorite Caviart Ally set the pace in the 1 ¼-mile rest, but five out of the six horses stayed relatively close to her for the entirety of the race. She tried to finish strong, by Bettor’s Up, a 14-1 long shot trained by Nick Surick, came on strong at the end of the elongated race as if she was just getting warmed up. Tim Tetrick rallied Bettor’s Up to the win in 2:21.
GREAT NORTHEAST OPEN SERIES TROT
The decorated mare Hannelore Hanover was the heavy favorite and she led most of the way in this final. But Rich And Miserable, who has burst upon the scene for trainer Todd Buter in 2019, stayed attached in the pocket. It came down to a thrilling stretch duel, a duel that was won by Rich And Miserable in the passing lane with Tyler Buter in the bike in 2:24:3.
GREAT NORTHEAST OPEN SERIES PACE
In the previous two Great Northeast Open finals, the leader had coughed the lead up late. And, with 1-2 favorite Backstreet Shadow lurking behind pacesetter None Bettor A, it looked like the same thing might happen again. But driver George Napolitano Jr. coaxed more out of 5-2 second choice None Bettor A, and the Andrew Harris’ trainee held on by in 2:20:1.
STALLION SERIES 3-YEAR-OLD COLTS AND GELDINGS PACE
Waterway, trained by Tony Alagna and driven by Dexter Dunn, ended the Monday stakes action in thrilling fashion. With a pocket trip behind long shot Seafarer, the 6-1 shot scooted up the passing lane late and was just able to nip Seafarer by a nose. Waterway, who had spent most of the last few months at Yonkers, paced the mile in 1:51.
That will do it for this week at Pocono, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].