The most impressive building on earth is a casino! It’s the Venetian Macau and is owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation belonging to one of the world’s richest men, Sheldon Adelson. Built on the Cotai strip in Macau, the casino is currently the biggest in the world and a triumph of human architecture. It is also the third largest building in the world. Officially opened on 28 August 2008 The Venetian is part of an 8 part development that isn’t matched anywhere else on this planet.

The new Las Vegas?

In the future gamblers can spend their money not only in the massive Venetian, but also bed themselves in some other top class hotels, all within walking distance.

• The Venetian Macao
• Four Seasons Macau
• Far East Consortium
• City of Dreams
• Shangri-La and Traders
• Sheraton and St. Regis
• Hilton and Conrad
• Fairmont and Raffles

Construction is going on at a rapid pace and once this is all built it will be the largest strip of casinos anywhere, making the mighty Las Vegas blush with envy.

The Venetian Macau

The Venetian Macau is so huge that you could fit 90 Boeing 747 jumbo jets into it. Visitors will find 3,000 suites, 1,200,000 square feet of convention space, 1,600,000 square feet of retail shopping, 550,000 square feet of casino space – the largest in the world, housing 3,400 slot machines and 800 gambling tables. It includes a 15,000 seat arena for entertainment and sports events.

The gamblers

The hotel offers so much entertainment that you could while away there for weeks without being bored for a minute. Just make sure you take enough money with you. The hotel’s very own Paiza Club caters to the high rollers of society and a suite costs along the lines of HK$2,000 a night. But, and here’s the good news, if you are going to be gambling in the casino, you stay there for free for the time of your visit. Everyone’s wish is fulfilled free of charge. Paiza Club guests are supplied with their own butler, direct access to their suite, private gambling tables and its own reception and lobby. Staying at the Venetian Macau will put a new spin on travel and hotel accommodation for anybody that ever sets foot into this amazing building.

Adelson the Dropout

Sheldon Adelson grew up in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, a rough-and-tumble section of Boston, where his father drove a taxicab. He worked at a young age selling newspapers on local street corners and owned his first business by the time he was twelve. In the years that followed, he worked as a mortgage broker, investment adviser and financial consultant. He started a business selling toiletry kits, and in the 1960s he started a charter tours business with two friends. Today he is on the Forbes list of the world’s richest.

Forget about Las Vegas, we’re flying to China

The US casino operator has announced plans to resume work in January on its multibillion-dollar gambling resorts in Macau after suspending construction last year amid a massive funding crunch. The project will add 6,000 hotel rooms for Sands China in Macau, compared with 3,554 it had as of June 30, according to the new prospectus, which was recently issued. The company will hire as many as 13,000 workers to finish the construction which is slated for completion in December 2011. The phase, consisting of one of two Sheraton-branded hotel towers and some retail centers, will add hotel rooms and a casino with 670 tables which would open in June 2011. It all sounds like a story out of one of those believe it or not books. As for staying in 6000 room hotel…

The Las Vegas Sands Corporation

The Las Vegas, Nevada-based company owns and operates Resort-Hotel-Casinos in Las Vegas and Eastern Pennsylvania. The company also owns and operates Resort-Hotels in Macau, China. In addition, LVS owns a hotel and is building an integrated resort in Singapore. In Macau the company is planning the development of resort-casino properties in Macau. At completion, the Cotai Strip will feature approximately 21,000 rooms from world-renowned hotel brands such as St. Regis, Sheraton, Shangri-La, Traders, Hilton, Conrad, Fairmont, Raffles, Holiday Inn, and InterContinental.

IPO

This week Sands will seek to raise more than $3.3 billion from an initial public offering of shares in its casino businesses in the southern Chinese enclave, the world’s largest casino market. Executives said that about $500 million will be used to restart construction on the projects. The company plans to hire as many as 12,000 workers after 11,000 jobs were cut as a result of the suspension.

Sheldon Adelson

Sheldon Adelson is an American billionaire businessman. He is a property developer and public company CEO. Adelson is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Las Vegas Sands Corp., the parent company of Venetian Macao Limited which operates The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino and the Sands Expo and Convention Center. Adelson vastly increased his net worth upon the initial public offering of Las Vegas Sands in December 2004 by selling just 10% of the shares. At its peak, Adelson’s estimated wealth was of $26.5 billion, making him the third richest person in the United States according to Forbes for both 2007 and 2008. In the 2009 list, his ranking dropped to #178 with a net worth of $3.4 billion.

What now, Adelson?

Inside the Venetian casino in Las Vegas, past the whirring slot machines, the canals and singing gondoliers, Adelson is plotting the next phase of his company’s expansion. The 76-year-old billionaire is poring over plans for Marina Bay Sands, his new $5.5 billion casino hotel project in Singapore. It’s been a tumultuous year for his group. With markets tumbling following the collapse of Lehman Brothers last September, shares in Las Vegas Sands fell 99 per cent.