Las Vegas Sands

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Las Vegas Sands Corp. is an American casino and resort company with corporate headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was founded by Sheldon G. Adelson and his partners out of the Sands Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. The Sands was demolished and redeveloped as The Venetian, opening in 1999. An adjacent resort, The Palazzo, opened in 2007. Both resorts were sold in 2022.

The company holds several resorts in Asia, including Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, which opened in 2010. Through its majority-owned subsidiary Sands China, the company owns several properties in Macau, including Sands Macao, The Londoner Macao, The Venetian Macao, and The Parisian Macao. As of 2020, it is the third-largest casino company worldwide by revenue.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

History

Development on the Las Vegas Strip

File:Sheldon Adelson crop.jpg
Las Vegas Sands was founded by Sheldon Adelson

Entrepreneur Sheldon G. Adelson and his partners Richard Katzeff, Irwin Chafetz, Ted Cutler, and Jordan Shapiro bought the Sands Hotel and Casino in 1989. Adelson and his partners financed their venture with investments in personal computers and trade shows, founding the computer trade show COMDEX in 1979.<ref name="hit-jackpot">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> They opened the 1.2 million square foot Sands Expo and Convention Center, then the largest privately owned convention facility in the world,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> across from the hotel in 1990.

The Sands Hotel was unable to compete with newer resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and was demolished to make room for The Venetian. Construction of the Venetian began in 1997, funded by Adelson's sale of COMDEX.<ref name=adelson-obit >{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Modeled on Venice, Italy, it joined the ranks of themed hotels such as Excalibur, New York-New York, and Paris Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip. In 2004, Las Vegas Sands, Inc. went public,<ref name=hit-jackpot /> and its name was changed to the Las Vegas Sands Corp.

Construction on The Palazzo began in 2005. The Palazzo and The Venetian make up the world's largest hotel under one roof, at 7,000 all-suite rooms and 17 million square feet.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The 43-story unfinished condominium skyscraper St. Regis Residences at the Venetian Palazzo is on the same campus. Construction halted in 2008 due to company financial issues.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The 2008 financial crisis forced Adelson to invest $1 billion of his own capital to keep the Las Vegas Sands in business, much of which the company spent developing event spaces and high-end retail stores in their properties By 2011, the Las Vegas Sands Corp.'s main profits came from renting convention space.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Expansion into Asia

File:Cotai Strip Buildings 200907.jpg
Las Vegas Sands was influential in the development of Macau's Cotai Strip, where Sands operates three properties

The company soon recognized new commercial opportunities in Asia, specifically in Macau, the only Special Administrative Region of China where gambling is legal. Las Vegas Sands Corp., along with Wynn Resorts and Galaxy Entertainment Group,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> was one of the first to be granted a casino operating concession. Sands Macao resort, Macau's first American-operated casino, opened in 2004.

Las Vegas Sands Corp.'s future Macau properties were largely in Cotai, a district of reclaimed land created through public works projects and designated for hotels and casinos.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Venetian Macao, the second-largest in the world at 550,000 square feet, opened in 2007.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2008, Las Vegas Sands opened a Four Seasons hotel adjacent to the Venetian Macao. It was followed by The Londoner Macao, originally branded Sands Cotai Central, and The Parisian Macao.

Development plans proceeded in 2010 for Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore, at $5.6 billion the most expensive hotel and casino ever built.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The resort was designed by Israeli-Canadian architect Moshe Safdie and is composed of three 57-story towers connected at the top by a 3-acre SkyPark(R). The integrated resort was the second built in Singapore after Resorts World Sentosa. Eight months after opening, Marina Bay Sands set a record for posting a $600 million operating profit.

In September 2012, the Las Vegas Sands Corp. announced that Madrid had been chosen as destination for a casino resort project dubbed EuroVegas in an attempt to expand outside of Asia.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In February 2013, the company named the town of Alcorcón, on the outskirts of Madrid, as the site for the EuroVegas project.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> Plans included six casinos, twelve hotels, a convention center, three golf courses, shopping centers, bars, and restaurants, and was expected to take 10 years to build. In December 2013 the EuroVegas project was officially canceled.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Recent history

In 2015, the Las Vegas Sands Corp. and California-based co-developer California-based Majestic Realty Co.<ref name="meetraiders">Template:Cite news</ref> proposed a $1.2 billion 65,000-seat stadium located near The Strip for the Oakland Raiders football team. The proposal required $420 million from private investors and $780 million in public funding, primarily from tourism. Despite Las Vegas Sands withdrawing from the project, the Raiders eventually moved into the stadium after relocating from Oakland.<ref name=meetraiders/>

The company's 2018 annual report anticipated "a significant and adverse effect" from the "proliferation of gaming venues, particularly in Southeast Asia."<ref name="wsj">Template:Cite news</ref>

In May 2019, the company sold Sands Bethlehem to the Poarch Band of Creek Indians for $1.3 billion, and it was renamed Wind Creek Bethlehem.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Las Vegas Sands was one of multiple bidders trying to open a commercial casino in Downstate New York. Las Vegas Sands had proposed building Sands New York, an integrated resort at the Nassau Coliseum site in Uniondale, New York,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> but withdrew their bid in April of 2025 due to the threat of New York legalizing online gambling.<ref>Las Vegas Sands Drops Bid to Open a Casino on Long Island</ref><ref>Sands Abandons NYC Casino Plan Citing iGaming Risks</ref> In the event that the state of Texas legalizes casinos, Las Vegas Sands hopes to build an integrated resort in Irving at the former site of Texas Stadium. Following backlash towards the project, Sands withdrew the casino component of the project.<ref>Las Vegas Sands' resort vision in Irving relies on casino — but what about Mavericks arena?</ref><ref>Irving City Council considering rezoning land owned by Adelson family for possible destination resort, including an arena</ref><ref>Las Vegas Sands Corporation pulls casino-style gaming from proposal ahead of Irving City Council vote</ref> Las Vegas Sands confirmed that they are interested in developing an integrated resort in Thailand following the withdrawal of the Entertainment Complex Bill but stated that Thailand needed a clear framework if they were to legalize gambling.<ref>Why Las Vegas Sands is interested in building a casino in Thailand</ref>

In July 2025, Las Vegas Sands broke ground on an expansion of the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore which will be completed by 2031. The expansion will include a separate fourth hotel tower, an arena and added convention space.<ref>Las Vegas Sands launches Marina Bay Sands expansion in Singapore</ref><ref>Marina Bay Sands in Singapore Breaks Ground on $8 Billion Expansion</ref><ref>Singapore's Marina Bay Sands casino resort begins $8bn expansion</ref>

Finances

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Region share
Macau 63.2%
Singapore 37.1%
Intersegment Eliminations -0.3 %

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the company's finances with a 97.1% decrease in revenue and a second-quarter fiscal loss of $985 million.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In March 2021, two months after Sheldon G. Adelson's death, the company announced the sale of its Las Vegas properties to Vici Properties and its operations to Apollo Global Management.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The sale was finalized in February 2022.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

As of 2021, the Las Vegas Sands Corp. is headed by CEO Robert Glen Goldstein, and reported a 2020 annual revenue of $3.61 billion.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Year Revenue
in million USD
Net income
in million USD
Total assets
in million USD
Employees
2005 1,741 284 3,880 6,000
2006 2,237 442 7,126 15,280
2007 2,951 117 11,467 28,000
2008 4,390 −189 17,144 28,500
2009 4,563 −540 20,572 27,000
2010 6,853 407 21,044 34,000
2011 9,411 1,270 22,244 40,000
2012 11,131 1,524 22,164 46,000
2013 13,770 2,306 22,724 48,500
2014 14,584 2,841 22,354 48,500
2015 11,688 1,966 20,863 46,500
2016 11,410 1,670 20,469 49,000
2017 12,882 2,806 20,687 50,000
2018 13,729 2,413 22,547 50,000
2019 13,739 2,698 23,199 50,000
2020 3,612 −1,685 20,807 44,500
2021 4,234 −961 20,059 44,700
2022 4,110 1,832 22,039 35,700
2023 10,372 1,221 21,778 38,700
2024 11,298 1,446 20,666 40,300

Political contributions

File:President Trump at the Israeli American Council National Summit (49193133993) (cropped).jpg
The Adelsons have a long history of contributing to Donald Trump and his campaigns

According to OpenSecrets, Las Vegas Sands donated $52.9 million to Republican candidates as the largest single contributor to federal campaigns during the 2012 election cycle.<ref name=orgs>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> By comparison, Adelson Drug Clinic was the second-largest solely Republican contributor during the 2012 election cycle with $42.1 million donated. Since 1992, Las Vegas Sands has contributed $70.5 million to federal campaigns; since 1999 the company has spent $5.4 million on lobbying.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Miriam Adelson has been one of Donald Trump's top donors during all three of his presidential campaigns.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Adelson has also provided financial support to the Zionist Organization of America, the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum and memorial in Jerusalem, and multiple U.S. groups that fundraise for the Israeli military.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Las Vegas Sands has actively been lobbying in Texas to get the state to legalize commercial casinos.<ref>Las Vegas Sands Texas Super PAC Loaded With More Than $9 Million in Cash</ref>

Initiatives

Las Vegas Sands has their own sustainability initiative roadmap called Sands ECO360, centered on identifying eco-friendly processes surrounding building development, resort management, and events.

One of the company's initiatives encourages resort staff to report possible water- or energy-conservation concerns.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Two buildings in Singapore are LEED certified, and several in Macau have received awards for Energy Saving Activities.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Properties

Las Vegas Sands holds integrated resorts in Asia including Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and through its majority-owned subsidiary Sands China Ltd. (SCL) owns several integrated resorts in Macao including The Venetian Macao, Sands Macao, The Plaza Macao and Four Seasons Hotel, The Londoner Macao and The Parisian Macao.

Current properties

Image Property Location Date opened Revenue in US$ millions
(2023)<ref name=":0" />
File:Sands.JPG Sands Macao Macau Peninsula, Macau May 18, 2004 322
File:55672-The-Rolling-Stones-14-On-Fire (13063245954).jpg
Cotai Arena Cotai Strip, Macau April 8, 2007 ...
File:Venetian Macau.jpg
The Venetian Macao Cotai Strip, Macau August 28, 2007 2,682
File:Marina Bay Sands in the evening - 20101120.jpg Marina Bay Sands Marina Bay, Singapore April 27, 2010 3,849
File:THE LONDONER MACAU 1.jpg The Londoner Macao Cotai Strip, Macau April 12, 2012 1,792
File:The Parisian Macao.jpg The Parisian Macao Cotai Strip, Macau September 13, 2016 879

Former properties

Image Property Location Date opened Date closed Notes
File:The Sands Hotel and Casino in 1959.jpg Sands Hotel and Casino Las Vegas, Nevada Template:Dts Template:Dts The original Sands Hotel in Las Vegas – demolished November 26, 1996.
File:Casino061.jpg Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Template:Dts Template:Dts Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem was sold to Wind Creek Hospitality, a tribe-owned company of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Alabama on May 31, 2019. On completion of the sale the property was re-branded Wind Creek Bethlehem.
File:Sands Convention Center 2010.jpg Sands Expo Las Vegas, Nevada 1990 Part of The Venetian Las Vegas.
File:11 The Venetian Las Vegas - luxury hotel and casino in Las Vegas Strip.jpg The Venetian Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada May 4, 1999 Sold to Vici Properties and Apollo Global Management in February 2022.
File:The Sphere at The Venetian Resort (53098837453).jpg Sphere Las Vegas, Nevada September 29, 2023 citation CitationClass=web

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File:Palazzo-at-night.JPG
The Palazzo Las Vegas, Nevada December 30, 2007 Part of The Venetian Las Vegas

Ownership and stock

  • December 2004: Las Vegas Sands completed its initial public offering with the ticker LVS on the New York Stock Exchange at a price of $29 per share.<ref name="hit-jackpot" /> 6.8% of the company was put on the market.<ref name="hit-jackpot" /> Adelson maintained 87.9% ownership of the company; management and directors owned the remaining 5.3%.<ref name="hit-jackpot" />
  • October 2007: the company's market capitalization peaked at $52 billion at $144.56 a share.
  • September 2008: Las Vegas Sands' stock plummeted to $36.11, prompting Adelson and his wife, Dr. Miriam Adelson, to invest $475 million in the company through a 6.5% convertible note in 2013.
  • November 2008: The Adelson family again invested $525 million in Las Vegas Sands, with the company raising an additional $1 billion in a secondary offering. The Adelsons also purchased 5.25 million shares of preferred stock as well as warrants to purchase 87.5 million shares of common stock at an exercise price of $6 each.
  • March 2009: market capitalization sinks to approximately $1 billion at less than $2 a share due to general market declines and concern for the short-term financial health of the gambling industry.
  • November 2009: Las Vegas Sands completed an initial public offering of its subsidiary Sands China Ltd., which owns and operates its Macau properties. The company raised a total of $3.3 billion in equity capital by selling a 29% interest in Sands China Ltd.
  • 2012: CEO Sheldon G. Adelson and his family owned approximately 53% of the company.<ref name="Meet">Template:Cite news</ref>

Aircraft

Las Vegas Sands operates private aircraft used primarily for charter transportation of executive directors and VIP guests of its properties. The Las Vegas Sands fleet is leased for charter purposes by Tradenda Capital AG (Lichtenstein), whose portfolio of companies includes Sands Aviation LLC and Interface Aviation LLC, the latter of which handles the personal affairs of the Adelson family. All operational Las Vegas Sands aircraft are based in Las Vegas at Harry Reid International Airport. The fleet includes the following aircraft (as of May 2025):Template:Cn

Aircraft In Fleet
Airbus A319-100 2
Airbus A340-500 1
Boeing 737-700 5
Boeing 767-300ER 1
Total 9

Alleged anti-bribery violations

In March 2013, the New York Times<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> reported that the Las Vegas Sands Corp. had informed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that the company likely violated federal law against the bribery of foreign officials. The Company disputed these reports, stating in a press release:

The company did not report any violations of the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA, and it said news reports stating otherwise, such as the headline in today's New York Times which described the matter by saying 'Casino Says it Likely Cheated,' are both inflammatory and defamatory...in [the Company's] preliminary findings the company's Audit Committee had advised that there were 'likely violations' of the books and records and internal controls provisions (i.e. 'accounting provisions') of the FCPA. A potential violation of the accounting provisions could range anywhere from a single transaction recorded incorrectly to other errors in the accounting records. The company said it will vigorously defend itself against that type of uninformed and misleading reporting.<ref name="investor.lasvegassands.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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On May 31, 2016, Sands reached a financial settlement with former Sands China president Steve Jacobs, who sued the company in 2010 for breach of contract and wrongful termination.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but the Wall Street Journal reported that the company paid Jacobs more than $75 million.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Jacobs had claimed he was dismissed for "blowing the whistle on improprieties" in Macau,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> including Jacobs' allegations that Adelson had instructed him to investigate senior Macau officials' potentially damaging financial and business information to use as leverage in future regulatory discussions.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Adelson denied these allegations, characterizing Jacobs as a disgruntled ex-employee.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On March 14, 2019, Sands reached a financial settlement with Hong Kong businessman Richard Suen for an undisclosed amount after having sued Las Vegas Sands for the third time, arguing he was owed $347 million by the Company, who countered with $3.76 million. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but Sands attorney Richard Sauber said the parties had reached an "amicable settlement and resolution."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Suen had successfully sued Sands twice in 2004 with the claim that he had been promised a $5 million success fee and 2% of Sands' profits from its operations in Macau in exchange for helping to obtain a Macau casino concession. The trials resulted in awards of $44 million and $70 million, respectively.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In June 2021, the Company was sued in a Macau court by Asian American Entertainment Corporation, who alleged entitlement to $70 million in Las Vegas Sands' profits in Macau as the company began operating there in 2002.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Prior to the November 2022 elections, Las Vegas Sands conducted a petition drive in Florida, spending $49.5 million to amend the State's Constitution to expand casino gambling. The state of Florida is investigating evidence of potentially fraudulent signatures collected during this event.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See also

References

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