Las Vegas Sands Dissolves iGaming Arm, Focuses on Overseas Operations

It was recently announced that Las Vegas Sands has shuttered its iGaming arm, Sands Digital Services (SDS), and will now focus its exclusive attention on its international operations in Macau and Singapore.

Power Outage

Although many companies are trying to compete with the industry powerhouses in the online sports betting and casino gaming market, others have decided that the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.

Such was the case when Las Vegas Sands announced it would be withdrawing from the iGaming market, costing up to 400 jobs, 150 of which are based in Las Vegas.

In an October 2nd missive, COO Patrick Dumont reported that an internal analysis revealed that the iGaming segment did not align with the company’s goals.

Following the death of the company founder and patriarch, Sheldon Adelson, the company’s Las Vegas-based luxury properties, the Venetian and Palazzo, were sold to Apollo Global Management Inc. and Vici Properties Inc. for a reported $6.25 billion.

Some of those profits were earmarked for the company’s digital entrance into the iGaming market by purchasing a share of the assets of Qbet.

The approach was to build an iGaming presence in those US states, including New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, that had legalized online casino gambling by using live dealers to attract customers and engage remotely.

However, that was a relatively short-lived experiment, and now Las Vegas Sands will concentrate on its land-based resorts in Asia.

Marina Bay Sands Expansion

The Marina Bay Sands is one of Singapore’s most iconic landmarks and has become the heart and soul of the Las Vegas Sands, which built it back in 2011. Three connected towers adorn Singapore’s skyline, and it has become a source of pride for the locals.

However, the company is embarking on a fourth unconnected, albeit adjacent, tower at a staggering $8 billion cost.

The one government directive given to the original architect, Moshe Safdie, who, at the age of 87, was recalled to design this newest addition, was to maintain the integrity of the other towers and complement, rather than overshadow them.

“The (Urban Redevelopment) Authority repeatedly said, ‘This is our icon; our people of Singapore love this, and we cannot do anything that’s going to compromise it,” Safdie said, referencing the country’s urban planning agency. “And that was very much on our minds as well: how to make something that has its own identity but is very complementary.”

The vision came courtesy of the company’s founder, Sheldon Adelson, who wanted to expand the opulent gaming facility. Although he was alive for its creation, the expansion followed his demise, but it is now in the midst of construction.