Las Vegas Sands Inc was singled out in the British Parliament as a bad employer who should not be granted a licence in the UK – a charge the company vehemently denies. Undeterred, the company continues its meteoric rise, particularly in Macau. Since it opened its first casino, Sands Macau, in the ex-Portuguese colony last May, gaming revenues have been phenomenal and a second casino resort, Venetian Macau, is now planned on the lines of the Venetian in Las Vegas.

Frank McFadden is currently CEO of Casinos Austria International Ltd, but from December will take up a position as Chief Operating Officer for the Las Vegas Sands’ subsidiary in Macau, Venetian Macau Ltd. He will oversee the US-based company’s operations in Macau.

In the UK, Las Vegas Sands is considering projects for three regional casino developments, all at football grounds. Glasgow Rangers, West Ham United and Sheffield United have all been named as being of interest to Sheldon Adelson’s company. However, with regional casinos seemingly limited to eight, it is unlikely that all three – or even one – will get the go-ahead.

In response to the expected changes in the Gambling Bill, Las Vegas Sands has proposed four new amendments, which, it says, will maximise regeneration and minimise social problems. The company proposes that the minimum area for regional casinos should be raised to 7,500 sq m from 5,000 sq m, which would increase the minimum investment for a project to around £150 million or more, and that at least 3,750 sq m should be for non-gaming activities.

Another proposed amendment would be an acceptable policy for problem gambling as a precondition to obtaining a licence. Local authorities should also be empowered to cancel an operator’s licence if it failed to provide agreed regeneration benefits to the community. Finally, Las Vegas Sands wants to ensure that smaller casinos are subject to a separate planning use category to prevent proliferation, something that the government has outlined but not yet included in the Gambling Bill.

All the would-be foreign investors dislike the proposed government cap on regional casinos. Tomorrow (30 November) are the next two sessions of the Standing Committee on the Gambling Bill and the Culture Minister, Richard Caborn, may explain how the cap would work, how companies would make applications, and whether coastal or inner city locations are likely to be chosen. It is not expected that firm details of actual locations will be announced.

Las Vegas Sands, and many others throughout the gaming industry, will be following events closely.

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