Second hotel to open in Macau

Posted 09 28 2007 11:49PM

HONG KONG - Las Vegas Sands Corp. will open its second hotel in Macau next month as part of the company's latest expansion in the southern Chinese gambling enclave, it said Friday.

The Sands Macao Hotel will be the second casino hotel opened by the chairman of Las Vegas Sands, American billionaire Sheldon Adelson, who hopes to transform Macau into a top vacation spot.

The casino operator opened its massive new casino and hotel resort The Venetian last month in the former Portuguese colony, which returned to Chinese rule in 1999.

"We are now uniquely positioned in Macao to offer all the integrated amenities necessary as a destination to attract a diverse range of multi-night visitors," said Mark Brown, president of Sands Macao and the Venetian Macau Resort Hotel.

The new 24-story hotel is situated next to casino Sands Macao, which opened in 2004. The hotel adds 289 suites, seven restaurants, a heated rooftop swimming pool and a 660-seat theater to the 800 table games and 1500 slot machines in the casino.

Macau, the only place in China casino gambling is allowed, has enjoyed strong economic growth since ending a casino monopoly in 2002 and letting in Las Vegas operators like Steve Wynn and Adelson.

Macau edged out the Las Vegas Strip last year, raking $6.95 billion in gambling revenue, compared with $6.69 billion in Las Vegas, regulators said.