## Unidentified Papers Criticize William Weidner, Consultant for Japan’s Integrated Resort Bid
Papers have emerged in Japan accusing William Weidner, former head and chief operating officer of Las Vegas Sands (LVS), of “improper and unethical actions” during his time in charge from 1995 to 2009. Weidner is advising a group led by Canadian private equity firm Clairvest, which is competing for a combined resort license in Wakayama Prefecture.
These papers, allegedly circulated in Japanese and English by “Concerned Citizens of Japan,” assert that Weidner’s history presents “substantial integrity concerns.” They cite publicly available information from government agency actions and civil cases spanning Weidner’s time at LVS. The accompanying note is addressed to Japan’s Casino Regulatory Commission, Wakayama Prefecture government, Clairvest, and its Wakayama branch, Clairvest Neem Ventures.
Sources who provided these papers to ICE365 stated they were sent to all four entities. However, ICE365 verified that three of the recipients did not receive the papers, and there was no response from the Japan Casino Regulatory Commission.
The papers outline LVS’s agreements with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2016 and the U.S. Department of Justice in 2017.
The Las Vegas Sands Corporation (LVS) was charged with breaking the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act between 2006 and 2009. These infractions were linked to their basketball team in China and the acquisition of the Adelson Center, a structure intended to promote US-China commercial ties. LVS paid a $16 million penalty in a settlement.
“The US government had all this data and ample time. If they believed they could pursue legal action, they would have taken action long ago,” stated Weidner. “If they believed I paid illicit funds, I would have been targeted long ago.”
The civil lawsuit report focuses on LVS’s pursuit of a Macau permit, a process led by Weidner during a critical period in late 2001 and early 2002 when LVS founder and chairman Sheldon Adelson was unable to participate due to treatment for peripheral neuropathy.
The source of these materials is unknown, and their purported distribution is unconfirmed, leading to speculation that their motivation might not be related to Japan but rather a personal animosity towards Weidner.
Regardless of the objective, these documents surfaced during Japan’s challenging introduction of casino gambling, a turbulent period. There have been claims of misconduct in Nagasaki’s selection of an Austrian casino as its integrated resort partner. On Sunday, Yokohama elected a mayor who pledged to end its casino bid, leaving only three locations vying for the three integrated resort licenses the Japanese government could issue next year.
Its not unusual for slander to occur in the intense rivalry for valuable casino permits, Weidner stated. He effectively guided Las Vegas Sands in establishing a gambling establishment in Macau and designed the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, which is viewed as a benchmark for combined resort development in Japan.
Weidner labeled the documents “meticulously planned but unfounded defamation,” which did not include “anything that constitutes illegal activity.”
“Clairvest has no comment on the bidding procedure for Wakayama or any other matter,” a company representative wrote in an email response to ICE365’s inquiry.
**Experience and Skill**
Wakayama Prefecture chose Clairvest as its integrated resort partner after the leading competitor, Suncity Group, pulled out.
Clairvest then employed French casino operator Groupe Partouche and AMSE Resorts Japan, which includes Gaming Asset Management (GAM), led by Weidner alongside former Las Vegas Sands colleagues Brad Stone and Gary Sanders.
Weidner stressed that GAM is not the same company as Global Gaming Asset Management (GGAM). GGAM is a joint venture with Cantor Fitzgerald and is involved in numerous gaming projects, including Manila’s Solaire Resort. This association has been at the center of ongoing legal disputes with Bloomberry Resorts, controlled by billionaire Enrique Razon Jr.
Toru Mihara, chair of the Japan Betting Legislation National Committee, stated that Clairvest’s bid lacked practical experience in operating casinos before the addition of these members.
In those days, their group was feeble: inadequate financial pledges, a shortage of seasoned gambling administrators, and so on.
Clairvest was keen to locate an individual who could fortify their standing, which may have been a rushed judgment, lacking thoughtful deliberation.
Friendly Counsel
Wedner has only offered “friendly counsel” to AMSE thus far, without paying charges or signing papers, though he anticipates playing a more substantial part in GAM: “We possess experience and expertise to share.”
He stated he had previously informed Clairvest and AMSE of the factual matters mentioned in the document.
“Wakayama cannot overlook these accusations and must probe,” remarked Masaru Suganuma, chief executive of ReNeA Japan, a US and Japanese gaming executive. “Otherwise, authorities might request Clairvest to dismiss AMSE: sever the issue at its source.”
Regional authorities are accountable for carrying out integrity verifications before submitting applications to national authorities.
Wakayama stated in a communication to ICE365 that they did not incorporate Wedner into their initial due diligence on Clairvest.
“In the future, if [Wedner] plainly expresses an intent to participate in the Wakayama integrated resort under suitable procedures, due diligence will be performed to ascertain his suitability.”
ICE365 discovered that Wakayama consortium members have engaged a leading global investigative agency to conduct integrity verifications. Thus far, the consultant, who sought anonymity, stated they have not unearthed any proof of “illegal and unethical behavior” by Wedner.
## Assertions Far From Japan
A Taiwanese-based entertainment firm, owned by Asian-Americans, is currently pursuing legal action against LVS in Macau for a sum of $12 billion. The legal proceedings arose from LVS’s decision to end their collaborative venture in Macau and their subsequent pursuit of a casino permit. Following the dissolution of the partnership, LVS forged a new alliance with Galaxy Entertainment Group to secure the license. A legal representative for AAEC firmly denied any involvement in the creation or distribution of these reports.
GGAM secured a $296 million judgment in Singapore after being dismissed from their role in managing Solaire just six months after its inauguration. In their legal arguments against GGAM, Bloomberry cited LVS’s settlement agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is currently appealing the ruling.
Bloomberry’s Executive Vice President, Estella Tuason-Occeña, stated to ICE365, “Japanese gambling authorities should scrutinize these claims when evaluating Weidner’s character. However, we were not implicated in this campaign against William Weidner.”
Former US diplomat Muhammad Cohen has been covering the casino industry in Asia since 2006. He has recently contributed to Forbes and Asia Gaming Insider, and authored “Hong Kong Airwaves,” a novel set against the 1997 handover, exploring themes of television news, love, betrayal, high finance, and inexpensive lingerie.
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