This week, US casino behemoth Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) concluded its experimentation with online gambling by shutting down its digital division, Sands Digital Services (SDS).
According to reports, Patrick Dumont, President and COO of LVS, informed the several hundred workers impacted by the closure that the division "was no longer aligned with the company's core long-term objectives."
Changing the Sands
The fact that LVS ever entered the internet at all is rather astounding. Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson, the company's late founder, chairman, and CEO, was adamantly against the idea of legal online gaming in the US and once declared he would pay "whatever it takes" to outlaw it.
Rob Goldstein, Adelson's successor, was ready to investigate a new strategic path for the business following his death in 2021. In 2022, SDS was established to stream live dealer content to jurisdictions where it was permitted.
For an operator that derives the majority of its revenue from its land-based casinos in Macau and Singapore, the idea was unsuccessful.
Montana Banner
The Montana legislature, which last week strengthened its ban on online gambling by making it a felony, would be Adelson's allies if he were still living today. Anyone providing such services to state residents might be imprisoned for up to ten years under new legislation that went into force on Wednesday.
Montana's strict position seems to be a response to the widespread use of prediction market platforms and online sweepstakes websites. Leading prediction market platform Kalshi, however, seems to be remaining unchanged. Tarek Mansour, the company's CEO, has previously stated that since the business is subject to federal regulation, he is not worried about state gaming legislation.
Only a few jurisdictions, like Montana, have made it unlawful for players to gamble online, at least in theory. No one has ever faced legal action for doing so.
The unfortunate 13
Lastly, there is the unsettling news that a 13-year-old boy has been referred to a child psychiatric center after making 7,000 trips to an online casino in Japan, another country where online gambling is prohibited.
The child admitted that he placed bets using a smartphone that his parents had given him. He said that he initially used his allowance before starting to waste his parents' money.
Approximately 3.37 million Japanese people had accessed an offshore online casino, spending an estimated ¥1.2 trillion (US$8.8 billion), according to a recent poll conducted by Japan's National Police Agency.
According to the report, almost 40% of users claimed not to be aware that it was illegal in Japan to access online casinos.
Check Out This Bonus
Juicy Stakes
- Around-the-clock live support
- Safe environment
- Impressive collection of games
The min. deposit amount is £25. Max. cashout from the free spins is USD 250. Terms and Conditions apply. The free spin winnings come with a 30x rollover.