MACAU ― Las Vegas Sands Corp., the world’s largest casino operator, opened its fourth gaming resort complex in Macau on Wednesday as part of its project to create a “Little Las Vegas” in Asia.

The $4.4 billion luxury hotel-cum-gaming property, the Sands Cotai Central, is designed to accommodate affluent international travelers and China’s increasingly sophisticated guests, the Las Vegas-based company said. The new resort is operated by its majority-held subsidiary Sands China.

Sands group chairman Sheldon Adelson, 78, hailed the opening as a game changer for the future of Macau as a leisure, entertainment and business location.

“We’re going to make Macau a city of business, conventions and leisure tourism,” the world’s 11th richest person told a news conference.

The opening of the Sands Cotai Central was much delayed by regulatory hurdles and the impact of the 2008 global financial crisis.

The leading integrated resort developer sees high potential in Macau, the world’s largest gaming market and the only location in China offering legal gaming.

The city’s gambling revenue increased 42 percent to a record $33.47 billion in 2011, up to six times higher than that of the Las Vegas Strip.

Sands owns several properties in the former Portuguese colony located within a five-hour flight and a 40-minute ferry ride from Hong Kong. They include the Venetian Macau, the Plaza Macau, the Sands Macau and Four Seasons Hotel Macau.

More than half of Macau visitors are from mainland China, thanks to the nation’s economic growth and burgeoning middle class.

The resort’s first phase launch features more than 600 rooms and suites under the five-star Conrad hotel brand and over 1,200 rooms from Holiday Inn. It has nearly 300,000 square feet of gaming space in two unique casinos themed in Himalaya and Pacifica.

When the second phase completed, Sheraton brand will offer approximately 4,000 rooms which represent the largest in the world for each of the respective brands.

By Park Han-na, Korea Herald correspondent
(hnpark@heraldcorp.com)