Sands China profits surge on record visits

Profits for Macau casino operator Sands China (1928.HKG) climbed 63% year-on-year in the first quarter to US$452.9 million due to a record number of visitors to its resorts, Bloomberg reported. Sands China, a Hong Kong-listed unit of Las Vegas Sands (LVS.NYSE), recorded a 39% rise in revenues to US$2 billion, according to a statement from the parent company. Sands China is among the few casino operators expanding their presence in Macau’s equivalent of the Las Vegas strip, known as the Cotai strip. The company stated in January that the government approved 200 additional gambling tables in its casinos.