Time of Sands
Posted on
May 1, 2014
Ten years ago, Sands Macao’s opening change the course of Macau and global gaming history
By Muhammad Cohen
Inside Asian Gaming
As Sands Macao employees began arriving for work around 7 a.m. on Tuesday, 18th May 2004, a crowd was already forming on the street, nine hours before the casino’s scheduled grand opening. Around noon, a rumor spread that guests would receive free chips worth MOP200 (US$25), swelling the crowd. Just before 2 p.m., during a reception for invited guests, security began “freaking out,” according to an executive of Las Vegas Sands Corp. send from Las Vegas for the opening.