Vegas Sands' Chinese subsidiary Sands China has been granted the necessary approval from the government in Macau to progress with a $2.7bn casino project in the city.

The Parisian Macao, which could open in 2016, is set to feature 3,000 hotel rooms, 490,000 square feet of retail space and a 50% scale replica of the Eiffel Tower.

Its development will take Sands' investment in Macau to over $10bn, which began when it opened the Venetian Macao in 2007.

The Venetian Macao was the first integrated resort to open in the city and the first truly integrated resort to open since the Venetian Las Vegas in 1999.

Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson said: "From the moment we put our first shovel in the ground we have been committed to helping Macao secure its future as a centre for leisure, business and entertainment. We've enabled local companies and suppliers to grow their businesses and we've helped the government expand its tax base and diversify its economy.

“The Parisian Macao is 100% consistent with that vision and we look forward to families taking pictures in front of our Eiffel Tower in the near future."