The Venetian Las Vegas History
The Venetian Las Vegas is one of the most popular hotels in this western US city; it features a large 120,000-square-foot casino, stores, various shows, and other entertainment facilities. The resort is located on the Las Vegas Strip, where the Sands Hotel used to be. The KlingStubbins studio worked on the building design and construction. To make the hotel stand out from the competition, it was surrounded by architectural replicas of the most extraordinary Venice buildings and monuments. The complex includes a 36-story hotel tower 475 feet high with 4,049 rooms, an enormous shopping center, a nightclub, a conference hall, and several theaters.
Chronology of the Casino Development
In the spring of 1996, Sheldon Adelson, a US businessman, announced that he would invest in building a major resort in Las Vegas on the grounds of the old Sands structure, which he also used to own.
At that time, the site was owned by the Interface Group, headed by Richard Kaceff, Adelson, Irwin Chavez, Ted Cutler, and Jordan Shapiro.
More than $1.5 billion was spent on the project: it was the most expensive hotel with a casino at that time.
Almost a year later, construction began. Let’s take a look at the most significant dates:
- November 26, 1996: old building demolition. It had been under the management of the new owners for 8 years before it was blown up.
- April 14, 1997: the beginning of the construction of a modern building.
- May 3, 1999: the grand resort opening. An orchestra was playing, gondoliers were singing at the ceremony, and many celebrities, including Sophia Loren, attended.
- June 27, 2003: opening of the Venice Hotel. The tower building housed 1,013 rooms.
- 2004: The Gambling Control Board fined the hotel $1 million. The case is that customers complained about tampering with the grand casino prize drawing — a Mercedes-Benz car. After this incident, some of the executives were fired.
- 2010: the company signed an agreement to join the InterContinental hotel group.
- October 2011: Cantor Race & Sportsbook opened in the building; it was the only 24/7 sportsbook.
- 2013: the hotel paid the Department of Justice a $47.4 million fine because several hotel representatives were suspected of money laundering.
- March 2020: the complex is forced to suspend operations due to the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- April 2020: the resort announced it was hiring medical personnel and installing cameras that scan visitors and determine their body temperature.
- June 4, 2020: the casino reopened.
- In late 2020, the company decided to sell three properties, including the Venetian Hotel in Vegas. The owners wanted to invest more money in the Macau venue, expecting that the Asian region would cope with the pandemic effects faster; however, it turned out to be a wrong decision.
- January 2021: Sheldon Adelson passed away. Two months later, the casino was sold for $6.25 billion.
As you can see, the casino had its ups and downs, and not all events were pleasant. However, we can say it is typical for any big business.
Rules of Attendance
This is a legitimate gambling venue that operates under Nevada state law, so only players over 21 years of age can enter and drink at the casino.
Design
The hotel is designed in the Italian style and resembles Venice architecture; it even features several buildings that look like landmarks of this famous Italian city, including the Palazzo Ducale and the Leo of Venice Column. Dougall Associates and Wilson Associates created such a captivating design.
Infrastructure
There is the Grand Canal Shoppes shopping mall, the Sands Expo convention center, and the Guggenheim Hermitage, where he showed his first collection. There is also a major nightclub called TAO.
It is designed in the Asian style, and the main highlight is the statue of Buddha, which reaches 20 feet in height. The club contains eight VIP skyboxes and a long terrace with luxurious panoramic views of the Las Vegas Strip; two dance halls are also available to guests.
According to the Nightclub & Bar top 100, the resort has earned more than $50 million from the TAO nightclub alone.
Besides the nightclub, there is also a club on the top of the building that works only during daylight hours. It offers a beach and a pool, and regular parties are held there. Guests can change their clothes in special booths equipped with a game console, a TV, a locker for personal belongings, and a mini-fridge.
Entertainment Facilities
The casino offers more than 225 various games: 60 table games (multiple versions of poker, baccarat, blackjack, and roulette), slots with Buffalo zones, high limits, various tournaments, and so on. In addition to casino games, the resort offers many other activities; for example, you can visit one of the four theaters:
- Palazzo
- Venetian
- Opal
- Show-Room Sands
The complex regularly hosts events with famous bands and performers such as Gwen Stefani, Styx, Foreigner, Mike Epps, Chicago, and others.
Other Features
If you haven’t gambled in a while and have forgotten the rules, The Venetian Las Vegas offers free daily poker, blackjack, roulette, and craps tutorials. The casino also varies minimum betting limits depending on the table; they are usually $10 on weekdays and $15 on weekends.
Keep in mind that many services are available at extra cost; for example, you need to buy a separate ticket to rent a gondola. Casino Wi-Fi is also available for an additional fee.
