Las Vegas Sands Shuts Down Digital Gaming Division

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Las Vegas Sands Shuts Down Digital Gaming Division

Las Vegas Sands Corp. has revealed it will shut down Sands Digital Services (SDS), its digital gaming division, citing strategic misalignment. The closure will affect between 300 and 400 employees, including about 150 roles in Las Vegas. 

Las Vegas Sands: Decision to Pull the Plug

In a letter to staff dated October 2, President and COO Patrick Dumont explained the decision. “After careful consideration, we have decided to discontinue our digital gaming efforts,” he wrote. 

He added, “Ultimately, we reached a moment in which it was clear… that further pursuit of this business was no longer aligned with the company’s core long-term objectives.” 

Dumont emphasized that the move is strategic, not performance-based. He said the team did “an outstanding job,” but the project failed to align with Sands’ long-term vision. 

Moreover, Dumont stated that the “digital landscape continues to evolve,” and the company will continue exploring only those opportunities that benefit shareholders. 

Company leaders also said displaced workers may apply for other internal roles, though many positions require different expertise. Sands plans to refocus on its core integrated resorts in Macao and Singapore, reinforcing that its strength lies in land-based operations. 

Sands Digital Services: A Brief History

SDS was launched in 2022 after Vegas operations were largely sold off. Its mission was to provide live-dealer streaming of casino games into various states in the U.S. However, it never went fully commercial or competed meaningfully with established suppliers like Evolution or Playtech. 

Sands’ earlier steps included acquiring assets from Qbet in 2021, signaling a digital tilt. The aim was B2B distribution: stream live games to partner operators rather than directly running a real money casino platform. However, no significant rollouts ever gained traction before leadership reversed course. 

Over its run, the project never scaled to pose a threat to top-tier digital gaming firms and other real money online casinos. Now, Sands is formally exiting the U.S. online gaming arena it once flirted with. 

Sands’ retreat from the digital space marks a clear pivot back to its core strengths in integrated resorts and hospitality. 

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