Sands gives up on in Florida, new target: Georgia

After six years of lobbying for a casino in Florida, Sheldon Adelson is calling it a day.

Sands’ Florida casino lobbyist Nick Iarossi has confirmed Tuesday that Las Vegas Sands Corp has cancelled all consulting contracts for public relations and lobbying to get a destination for a casino and resort in Florida.

A push to bring resort casinos to South Florida is dead for this year’s legislative session and Rep. Dana Young filed a substitute bill in April, dropping casino proposal for two high-end, high-class convention-and-casino resorts in South Florida, one each in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

Iarossi also noted that a possible renewal of the gambling compact between the state and the Seminole Tribe for the exclusive rights to offer blackjack in Florida, played a big factor on Sands’ decision.