Sands China hedges its bets

IT IS just past 6am on a Sunday morning, and the sprawling Venetian casino in Macau is still a hive of activity.

Packs of punters, many of them from the mainland, are huddled at blackjack tables or at one of the several thousand slot machines inside the casino.

Some, it's safe to assume, probably haven't slept the entire night, as they hold out hope of striking that elusive jackpot.