Inside Asian Gaming

September 2011 | INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 37 Asian Gaming 50 – 2011 dismissal. Tom Arasi, the first CEO of Marina Bay Sands, LVS’s casino resort in Singapore, resigned in January after 18 months in that post. And it won’t be lost on Mr Tracy that he wasn’t first choice for the Sands China CEO role. Michael Leven—the LVS President and COO who acted as caretaker CEO in Macau after Mr Jacobs was let go last summer—stated publicly in August last year that the company wanted “an Asian” for the Sands China top job. But after a year-long headhunting exercise—during which time Mr Leven regularly shuttled the 7,300 miles between Las Vegas and Macau as interim boss—it was decided that Mr Tracy’s good performance had earned him the right to a crack at the top Macau job. In the meantime, LVS hired an ex-Hong Kong government official to help further improve relations with Macau lawmakers and public servants. Mr Tracy won’t have time to dwell about where he once stood on the candidate list. He faces an exceptionally busy schedule as the company approaches a possible spring 2012 opening for the first phase of Sands Cotai Central—LVS’s US$4.2 billion addition to its gaming and entertainment facilities on Cotai. He will also be working hard to ensure that as the company builds its impressive performance in mass-market gaming and entertainment, it also ensures it maintains and builds market share in the crucial VIP segment.