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Dirty laundry: Should casinos be responsible for knowing where the money comes from?
Wed, Nov 7, 2012 (4:19 p.m.)
Venetian owner Sheldon Adelson spent more than $50 million on the 2012 Presidential election. And now, the government wants another $100 million from him. It’s got nothing to do with politics; the Justice Department says the Las Vegas Sands Corp. could be charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The potentially laundered money came from a former Fry’s Electronics executive (Ausaf Umar Siddiqui) and a Chinese-born Mexican businessman (Zhenil Ye Gon). Siddiqui was jailed for accepting illegal kickbacks; Ye Gon was indicted on drug trafficking charges. They both liked to gamble at Adelson’s properties.
The Justice Department isn’t claiming that the Sands knew the money was dirty; they’re saying the Sands should have known the money was potentially dirty, and that the Sands had a duty to investigate and alert authorities before allowing Ye Gon and Siddiqui to gamble. If the Justice Department could prove that the Sands showed “willful blindness” or “flagrant organizational indifference” to the money’s source, the Sands could be looking at not only a $100 million fine, but also criminal charges for at least one executive.
The parties are currently in settlement talks. Presumably, a settlement would involve a smaller fine, dropped criminal charges and a promise on behalf of the Sands Corp. to alert authorities should a similar situation come up in the future.
No matter how this turns out, though, something tells me Adelson is going to pull through just fine.
In the spirit of Venice, The Venetian is a little piece of romantic Italy right here in Las Vegas. The Venetian is an "all-suite" hotel, with rooms accented with plush linens and Italian marble. The 4,027 suites are divided into two towers: The 36-story Venetian Tower that offers guests a taste of luxurious Las Vegas and the Venezia suites, which guarantee 12 floors of high-end elegance. The top five floors are the hotel's highest level of luxury with its private access, concierge lounge, upgraded features and even a dedicated staff.
Entertainment at the Venetian includes shows such as Tim and Faith - Soul2Soul, featuring Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and Rock of Ages.
The flagship of Venetian nightlife is TAO, an ultra-hip nightclub located inside of TAO Asian Bistro. V Bar is The Venetian's super smooth ultra lounge, made by the owners of New York City's club Lotus and Los Angeles' super swank Sunset Room.
The Venetian features 19 restaurants including Thomas Keller's award-winning French restaurant Bouchon, Mario Batali's B&B Ristorante, Aquaknox for fresh seafood and the 42,000 square foot TAO Asian Bistro. There's also the food court inside the Canal Shoppes for those looking for a quick bite.
Guests can float along The Grand Canal Shops in an authentic Italian gondola ride and pass stores like Burberry and Kenneth Cole along the way. And if you haven't caught a real celeb, on the street in Vegas, you can head over to Madame Tussauds to check out a wax version.
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