Academics

Sands Bethlehem casino internship leads to big wins for students

Sands Bethlehem sits on the former site of the Bethlehem Steel plant. Credit: Courtesy of Sands BethlehemAll Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – As a second-year student majoring in hospitality management, Greg Butto, who gravitated toward casino management courses, had a unique opportunity to work on the casino floor at Sands Bethlehem.

As it turns out, Butto’s experience became the model for a new internship program between the Penn State School of Hospitality Management and Sands Bethlehem.

During the summer of 2013, Butto attended dealing school and worked as a pit clerk at Sands Bethlehem, a casino resort in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. A year later, Butto landed a dealing position for the summer at the Rio in Las Vegas. Now, Butto, who graduated May 9, has joined the staff at the Wynn Casinos in Las Vegas.

“I am from Easton, Pennsylvania, so working at Sands Bethlehem was a great opportunity for me because I was able to live at home and get the experience I wanted in the casino industry,” Butto said. “The experience helped me obtain the position that I have now at the Wynn Casinos in Las Vegas. I know my experience at Sands Bethlehem helped me get the job.”

Mike Ahlgren, assistant teaching professor of gaming and casino management, understands the importance of providing students with hands-on, real world experience.

“Traditionally, major Las Vegas casinos do not even consider dealers with less than five years of experience for dealing positions at their premier strip properties,” Ahlgren said. “I believe that Mr. Butto was fast-tracked into this position because of the unusual mix of experience and quality education that he possesses. Furthermore, top tier operators do not funnel new graduates into operation managers without a solid background on the floor. Mr. Butto’s real achievement is that he is gaining experience with Las Vegas Sands Corp., Caesars and now Wynn Casinos, three of the most highly respected gaming companies in the world.”

To provide students like Butto, with such opportunities, Ahlgren worked with Greg Kite, executive director of operations at Sands Bethlehem. Under the direction of Mark Juliano, president and COO of Sands Bethlehem, Ahlgren and Kite developed a formal summer program, through which two additional Penn State students will work at Sands Bethlehem this summer.

“We’ve been working with the School of Hospitality Management and Mikael Ahlgren for several months to introduce Penn State students to our industry,” Kite said. “Over this upcoming summer, we will offer jobs at Sands Bethlehem to give students the opportunity to receive exposure in the gaming industry at a high volume and fast paced environment. The program will give participants real world experiences to bring back to the classroom and strengthen their academic studies.”

At the same time, Kite said, Sands Bethlehem benefits from the program by gaining fresh perspectives and unique ideas from the students who have focused for years on the gaming industry at a higher educational level.

“It is also our hope that a summer with us could develop into future hospitality leaders for casinos in the region,” Kite said.

Through the internship program, Penn State student Chad Kretchek will work at Sands Bethlehem this summer.

“Penn State has provided me with the tools I need to be successful in my internship,” Kretchek said. “I believe this experience is critical to my career development. It is very difficult to get a job in the casino industry without prior experience. This internship will allow me to find out exactly what each position on the floor entails. I will also be able to shadow managers and executives, which will give me exposure to the responsibilities of higher level positions.”

Last Updated May 28, 2015