Is Dallas the preferred spot for the nation’s next mega resort and casino?
It is for the Las Vegas Sands corporation, who are in the early stages of planning to bring a Marina Bay Sands style mega-resort, modeled after the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, to the Dallas area.
Andy Abboud, senior vice president for Las Vegas Sands, told NBC DFW, “Dallas is the only other place in the world that we think can match Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. It's that simple.”
The Las Vegas Sands corporation is controlled by Miriam Adelson, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and her son-in-law Patrick Dumont, who is the company’s president and Chief Operating Officer, and who also has a controlling interest in the Mavs.
The Mavs ownership group has already eyed the former site of Texas Stadium in Irving as a potential new site for their resort and casino, which would also include a new arena for the Mavs.
Of course, a new Marina Bay Sands Dallas faces a couple of major hurdles, first of all which gambling is not legal in Texas, and second, finding a community willing to bring a casino to their neighborhood.
Those are two pretty big hurdles nobody has been able to clear as of yet.
Abboud argued that Dallas’ central location, population growth, major airports, and favorable business climate all make for a no-brainer decision to legalize gambling and bring a casino to the area.
“Texas is today the largest illegal gaming market in America,” he said. “With no jobs, no revenue, no taxes, no economic benefit, no increased visitation—just a big illegal market,” he said.
“The gambling helps pay for all the shops, restaurants and event spaces. At the end of the day, we’re in the gaming business.”
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