Go East Hot Gambler As Storied Las Vegas Sands Runs Out Of Digital Time

Hit the road Jack, and don’t you come back no more, no more…one can almost hear the storied Rat Pack of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. belting out the advice as the Las Vegas Sands, once their favourite haunt, decides to drop digital and concentrate exclusively on their Far Eastern casino-resorts. It’s definitely back to the future of neon lit gaming floors, spinning roulette wheels and high-decked waitresses bearing trays of martinis for the iconic Sands, after pulling out of the Big Apple casino-resort race earlier this year and now closing its ok8 vertical SDS, Sands Digital Services. “Ultimately, the further pursuit of this [digital] business no longer aligned with [our] long-term core objectives,” explained Sands President and CEO Patrick Dumont, while announcing the loss of some 400 SDS jobs. Las Vegas Sands Corp–the original Sands casino and hotel, opened in 1952, closed in 1996–will now focus all its operations in Macau, where it owns a clutch of casinos–Sands Macao, The Venetian Macao, The Plaza Macao, The Londoner Macao, and The Parisian Macao–through its Sands China Ltd. holding company, and Singapore, where it runs the mega casino-resort-shopping heaven, Marina Bay Sands. The Sands sold all its remaining US retail interests–notably the Venetian and the Palazzo on the Vegas Strip in 2022–to Apollo ok8 Management and VICI Properties for US$6.25 billion (£4.67bn). And tried to fill the gap with their SDS venture. But they’re not the first traditional casino-resort heavy-hitters to have tried their hand–and lost–at ok8. They follow distinguished online losers in the Wynn Corp., who wilted when faced with the U.S. ok8 and sports betting heat generated by Flutter’s FanDuel and Massachusetts-based DraftKings, and a clutch of lesser, even more digitally-tuned, outfits, such as Betway, SI Sportsbook and Unibet, who have quit the online American gambling scene. And for a while it even looked touch-and-go for the mighty MGM Entertainment’s BetMGM co-venture offering with Britain’s Entain; although the book has now undoubtedly found its feet in the potentially-lucrative but super tough stateside digital marketplace. It’s said that the legendary billionaire Sheldon Adelson, who bought the famed “Sands” moniker in 1989 for US$110 million (£82.28m) and founded the latter-day Las Vegas Sands iteration, hated ok8 to his core. Adelson, voted the world’s 16th richest man in 2014, with a fortune in excess of US$35 billion (£26.18bn) at the time of his death in 2021, vowed “to spend whatever it takes [to stop] this [ok8] danger to society”. He launched the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling and he fought the Supreme Court’s repeal of PASPA–which effectively greenlighted online sports betting in the United States-tooth and nail. No doubt Mr Adelson–in that special place reserved for billionaires–will afford himself a wry smile of satisfaction at the news that his beloved business has quit the digital race, yet still prospers – albeit far, far from its original home. The threat by UK gambling mega channel Entain to shutter its high... Hit the road Jack, and don’t you come back no more, no... With just over a month to go until the next Counter-Strike Majors–scheduled... Speaking recently at the iGF Supper Club in September, Matthias Kaiser, Director... The future of the industry relies on the ability for great minds to share powerful ideas. Breadcrumb: Home | Featured | Go East Hot Gambler As Storied Las Vegas Sands Runs Out Of Digital Time At ok8Future, we deliver the latest news and trends in the world of ok8. Our team is dedicated to providing in-depth analysis to keep you informed about industry innovations and developments. Tune in to our podcasts, attend our events, and hear from leading industry thought leaders. Follow us to stay up-to-date with the exciting world of ok8. Copyright © 2025 ok8Future - All rights reserved | Cookie & Privacy Policy | Content Hub | News Publication website development by Capital Web To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. View the Cookie and Privacy Policy