Sheldon Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands Corp. is reportedly soliciting interest for all of its three Las Vegas casinos.
The three properties — the Venetian Resort Las Vegas, the Palazzo, and the Sands Expo Convention Center — could sell for as much as $6 billion, Bloomberg reported.
The move would mean an exit from the U.S. gambling industry for the world’s largest casino company, but Adelson, who serves as chairman and CEO of the company, has expressed interest in building in New York City.
The U.S. market accounted for just 15 percent of Sands’ $13.7 billion in revenue last year.
The sale would leave the company with properties in Macau and Singapore, which accounted for 63 percent and 22 percent, respectively, of the company’s revenue last year.
The company wants to expand in those markets, which could be funded by a sale of the U.S. properties, said Bloomberg gambling and lodging analyst Brian Egger.
“We are seeing an uptick in real tourists on the ground in Macau,” said Ben Lee of Macau-based gaming industry consultancy IGamiX. “The profile of the Chinese tourists is dominated by young females and families — mainlanders taking advantage of the cheap accommodation on offer.” [Bloomberg] — Dennis Lynch