The move to cancel the event, known as ‘G2E Las Vegas’ and set to take place at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in the city in early October, was announced last night.

“In light of continued uncertainty around a viable marketplace at a physical G2E show, global travel restrictions, and currently unknown guidance on large public gatherings this fall, we have come to the unfortunate conclusion that we simply cannot hold an in-person G2E this year,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller.

“Health and safety have always been our top priority and the uncertainty created by the ongoing pandemic makes this the prudent decision ahead of critical deadlines for exhibitors planning to participate.”

The 2020 staging of G2E Las Vegas will not be rescheduled for a later date, organisers said, with the next in-person edition of the expo set to return to the Sands Center on October 4-7, 2021. Organisers however do expect to announce a virtual event at some stage.

“We arrived at this decision after thoughtfully engaging with national, state and local public health authorities, as well as exhibitors and buyers who have shared industry observations and priorities,” said Hervé Sedky, President of Reed Exhibitions Americas.

“Ultimately, it became clear that proceeding with an in-person gathering simply was not feasible. It is our commitment to use G2E’s platform, as the leading convener of the global gaming community, to continue to deliver unparalleled education content, inspiring collaboration, and innovative ideas as the industry readies for continued growth.”

AGA CEO Miller added: “As the country works to reopen, the American gaming industry continues to adapt and provide the safest possible experience for our employees and customers while continuing to support the communities in which we operate.

“We look forward to the moment when we can convene together again with our colleagues from across the world and celebrate the resilience that our industry is known for.”

Rasmus Sojmark, CEO and Founder of SBC, said of the announcement: “This is a sad day for the industry, to see G2E Las Vegas – probably the industry’s largest trade show – cancelled. It is of course the latest of many physical events to be postponed or cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We at SBC are very good friends with the team at Reed and we are of course sad for them – but we also applaud their brave decision to act decisively at this time,” said Sojmark.

“We wish them well with any virtual events and will support them through our media channels and by attending in person. The success of the SBC series of digital events – continuing next week with the SBC Digital Summit North America – has only been possible with outstanding support from the industry and it is something G2E can count on at a difficult time.”

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Despite asserting that the group’s “offerings from customers who have been able to visit remains robust,” the casino operator says that the adverse impact will continue “until the COVID-19 pandemic is contained”.

The comments come as the group issued an update to outline the pandemic’s ongoing impact upon its operations, primarily citing performance through July and August where “tighter border restrictions were implemented in Macao affecting visitation to our properties”.

Net revenue for the group through July and August came in at US$265m and US$148m compared to US$43m and US$53m a year earlier, an operating loss of US$25m and US$83m contrasted to US$141m and US$148m, and net loss of US$63m and US$125m as opposed to US$165m and US$175m, respectively.

Additionally, adjusted property EBITDA of US$44m and a loss of US$14m were recorded through July and August 2021, respectively, as compared to losses of US$79m and US$83m during the same period one year earlier.

The group has taken various mitigating measures in a bid to ensure a smooth passage through the current environment, including a cost and capital expenditure reduction program to minimise cash outflow for non-essential items.

Sands China also asserts a belief that it is able to support continuing operations, complete the major construction projects that are underway and respond to the current COVID-19 challenges.

“The company continues to look forward to the opportunity to welcome more guests back to our properties as greater volumes of visitors are eventually able to travel to Macao,” the Sands China update reads. 

“Demand for the group’s offerings from customers who have been able to visit remains robust, but pandemic-related travel restrictions and the evolving COVID-19 situation in Macao and mainland China continue to limit visitation and hinder the company’s current financial performance.”

Sands China also cites Macau government figures in backing up its visitation issues, with monthly gross gaming revenue and total visitation from mainland China said to have decreased by 65.5 per cent and 71.8 per cent in July 2021 as compared to pre-pandemic levels from the same period in 2019.

However, increases of 528.1 per cent and 989.4 per cent across GGR and total visitation were reported on a year-on-year basis.

In August 2021, monthly GGR increased by 234 per cent as compared to the same period in 2020 but decreased 81.7 per cent from pre-pandemic levels.

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Representing and investment of $1.9bn (MOP 15.2bn), The Londoner Macao will open progressively throughout 2021 and strives to offer visitors the best of British history and culture alongside a traditional yet contemporary hospitality experience. 

The first phase opening of the integrated resort, a British-themed reimagining of Sands Cotai Central, will unveil the all-suite The Londoner Hotel, a Crystal Palace atrium, new dining options, and interactive London-themed attractions in Q1 2021.

More integrated resort offerings will be introduced in later phases throughout 2021, including Suites by David Beckham, Macao’s first celebrity-designed hotel rooms; Londoner Court, a luxury residential-style all-suite hotel; the rethemed Shoppes at Londoner; and Londoner Arena entertainment venue.

“The entire company is eagerly anticipating the launch of our newest themed destination – The Londoner Macao,” said Dr Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China. 

“The success of any of our integrated resorts is directly tied to the dedication of our hard-working team members, who bring our properties to life each day and provide unforgettable experiences and world-class service to our guests and visitors. 

“These team member rallies are a way for us to energise our opening team and celebrate their hard work and passion. I know they take great pride in the role they play – whether front-of-house or behind the scenes – in making The Londoner Macao an iconic, must-see destination on the Cotai Strip.”

The Londoner Macao’s opening team consists of more than 5,700 team members, with 25 per cent having served the company for at least 10 years, and boast extensive experience opening two or three properties. Approximately 10 per cent have already reached their 15-year milestones.

More than 2,000 Sands China team members this week joined rallies at the Londoner Theatre in preparation of the first phase of launch, where Dr Wong delivered a tribute to chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson who passed away earlier this month.

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The whole estate appears to have performed well but Singapore stands out with earnings (EBITDA) at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore up by nearly 50 per cent year on year to $541m in Q1.

Adjusted EBITDA for the company’s Macau properties also increased strongly, up 26 per cent to $789m. Even the Vegas properties performed well, with a year-on-year EBITDA increase of 15.6 per cent, to $141m.

In a statement, Las Vegas Sands chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson said: “We are extremely pleased to have delivered strong financial results in the quarter.

“Consolidated adjusted property EBITDA reached a record $1.50bn, an increase of 30.7 per cent compared to the first quarter of 2017.

“The power of our unique convention-based integrated resort business model was once again on display during the quarter, with record quarterly financial results achieved in Macau, Singapore and Las Vegas. We also continued to invest in growth initiatives in each of our markets while returning excess capital to shareholders.”

Applying GAAP accounting principles, generally accepted in the US, across the group operating income in the first quarter of 2018 increased 51.6 per cent to $1.16bn, compared to $764m in the first quarter of 2017.

The increase in operating income was largely due to stronger results in Macau and at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

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The property will be known as Wind Creek Bethlehem, once the sale goes through.

Sheldon Adelson, chairman and CEO of Las Vegas Sands, said in a statement: “Sands Bethlehem has become one of the leading regional entertainment and gaming destinations in the US and we are extremely proud of the positive contributions the property has made for Bethlehem, the Lehigh Valley and eastern Pennsylvania.

“We are pleased to have built a strong foundation that can be the basis for the property’s future success and more importantly, we are proud to have delivered on our promise of bringing thousands of good-paying jobs, generating significant economic impact and revitalising a site of sentimental and historical importance.”

Stephanie Bryan, tribal chair and CEO of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, said: “The quality of the property and dedication of the team members to genuinely engage with customers was evident from the first time we visited the property.

“The addition of this fantastic team and property to our portfolio furthers our desire to secure a long and prosperous future for our tribe. We look forward to working with our new team members and the community to cement Wind Creek Bethlehem’s position as the premier entertainment destination in the northeast.

“We are proud of our ability to become valued partners with communities surrounding our Wind Creek Hospitality properties.”

Sands Bethlehem president Brian Carr said the pending sale would not impact upon the day-to-day running of the property.

“We’ve become an important regional entertainment destination because of our commitment to our customers,” he said. “That’s not going to change regardless of what the sign on the top of the building might read.

“I’m confident our entire team will provide a smooth and seamless transition for new ownership while at the same time maintaining the strong level of guest service for which we have become known.”

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Greenwood’s selection follows yesterday’s false start, which saw Sands Bethlehem initially named as the successful bidder before being disqualified. The location identified by Sands Bethlehem was determined to be in conflict with that defined by Mount Airy‘s successful bid in an earlier auction.

The Greenwood bid of $8,111,000 secured a location for placement of a Category 4 casino in a 15-mile radius area around a central point in South Newton Township in Cumberland County. The selection means that Greenwood now has the opportunity to apply for a licence for that location.

Successful bidders are required to pay the bid price within two business days, and then have up to six months to submit an application for the Category 4 Slot Machine Licence which would permit the entity to operate between 300 and 750 slot machines.

The application will contain the precise site of the proposed Category 4 casino, as well as detailed plans and information concerning the proposals.

A Category 4 Slot Machine License would permit the entity to operate between 300 and 750 slot machines. The entity could also petition for permission to initially operate up to 30 table games for an additional fee of $2.5m with the capability of adding an additional 10 tables games after its first year of operation.

The first three auctions were won by Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association, with a location in the Borough of Yoe in York County; Stadium Casino, for Derry Township in Westmoreland County; and Mount Airy, with a location in the City of New Castle in Lawrence County.

The next public auction will take place on Wednesday, March 7.

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Initially, it was believed that Sands’ bid of nearly $9.9m had earned the operator the opportunity to develop proposals for a site in the state’s Hempfield Township, in Mercer County, reserving a 15-mile radius around that location.

It transpires that the location – selected by the bidder – does not conform to the requirements for site selection.

In a statement, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s executive director Kevin O’Toole said the location intruded upon the reserved area of a previously secured Category 4 location held by Mount Airy, meaning the Sands Bethlehem bid is invalid.

The board will now examine the submission of the second and only other bidder in the round, Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment.

Representatives of the Gaming Control Board will reconvene at 10am (3pm, GMT) today in Harrisburg to announce the winning bid amount and open the location affidavit envelope.

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