NEWS
29 March 2021
Las Vegas Sands to investigate its Singapore casino
By Gambling Insider

The US firm has organised a committee to investigate as Marina Bay Sands was already under the radar of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Singapore police.

Last year, a Chinese gambler by the name of Wang Xi sued Marina Bay Sands, claiming the operator had moved $6.8m (£4.9m) from his house account to others without his permission.

Wang Xi’s case was settled out of court. The DOJ, however, decided to investigate further, analysing how the operator was handling customer accounts. The DOJ is still reviewing whether the casino has breached money laundering regulations and if it mistreats and silences gamblers like Wang Xi.

An internal investigation will now commence by a committee consisting of three independent board members. The US law firm Vinson & Elkins LLP will also assist the board in its review.

An internal probe had shown that some employees had presented gamblers with blank forms. They would get players to sign empty authorization forms and then fill in the amount being transferred. Marina Bay Sands has said that it has reduced the number of third-party transfers and reinforced its security over these actions.

Currently, the company is in a transitional phase as the founder, Sheldon Adelson, passed away in January. The company is set to sell its Venetian resort in Las Vegas to focus on Asia.