[toc]The construction of the Resorts World Las Vegas Casino, which is worth $4 billion, is set to progress in the following weeks. However, despite this development, the completion date for the Strip property has been pushed to 2020. The group was initially aiming to finish the project by 2019. But due to a redesign of the aesthetic, Nevadans will have to wait a bit longer.
Resorts World adding tower cranes soon
The current site of the casino consists of a parking structure and the remains of Boyd Gaming’s discontinued Las Vegas casino project, which halted construction in 2008.
Resorts World President Edward Farrell informed the Las Vegas Review-Journal that changes are imminent.
“We’re nearing the completion of the design phase, and we’re confident enough to progress towards initiating construction. Over the past two or three years, we’ve carried out a significant amount of unseen construction work, including unglamorous tasks such as laying utility lines, negotiating easements, and constructing a garage combined with office space.”
The initial phase of the process will involve the installation of tower cranes to prepare for the construction of the high-rise building. Farrell anticipates that the crane installation will take place within the next 90 days. Nonetheless, it would take another few years before the two hotel towers start to resemble anything more than steel and cement.
Casino redesign delayed opening
The Genting Group, owner of Resorts World Las Vegas, recently encountered a delay in the project due to a redesign. Upon presenting the project to the Nevada Gaming Commission, it was suggested that the property would adopt a more traditional Chinese design.
An expansive meditation garden, expected to be even larger than Bellagio’s conservatory, will be one of the main features of the property.
The 2016 proposal contained some more contemporary concepts. Most remarkably, Genting discussed a celestial sphere that would display selfies taken by visitors to the property.
Farrell recently declared a revamp of the design this month. He attributed this to the company’s ambition to construct a contemporary casino to attract the hard-to-reach younger gambling demographic. He conveyed this to the Las Vegas Sun.
The original drawing featured abundant traditional, old Chinese architectural elements. Over the past few years, the company has thoroughly studied the Las Vegas market and has significantly transitioned towards a more modern aesthetic.
Farrell compared the changes to being “more Shanghai than Beijing.”
Genting hopes to appeal to the Asian market
Besides attracting younger gamblers, the new casino also aims to draw the profitable Asian market. This strategy has been successfully implemented by the recently inaugurated boutique casino, Lucky Dragon.
The Lucky Dragon, a small casino, is situated just around the corner from the Resorts World construction site on Sahara Ave. Its success can be largely attributed to baccarat, and they’re already expanding their high roller section to include more games. Boosting its fortune is Hainan Airlines, which offers direct flights from Beijing to Vegas.
The expectation is that the lavishness and grandeur of Resorts World can further leverage this strategy. However, we’ll need to wait several years to witness its implementation.
