Sands teaming up with Playboy in Macau ventures

Las Vegas Sands Corp. and adult magazine publisher Playboy Enterprises have announced a licensing agreement and will partner to bring the famous Playboy name to Macau.

The initial plans call for a 12,000-square-foot Playboy Club to be built on the top level of the Sands Macau. The facility, expected to open by the end of the year, will include private gambling rooms, along with private entertainment and media rooms, the Playboy Bunnies, Playboy Artwork and a Playboy lounge.

In addition, Las Vegas Sands will locate a 30,000-square-foot Playboy Mansion on a site on the Cotai Strip, where the company is building a hotel, casino and convention complex.

The mansion, modeled after Hugh Hefner's legendary Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles, will have bars, lounges, nightclub, gaming and retail stores. It is expected to open by 2012.

Las Vegas Sands recently announced plans to restart construction on the Cotai Strip, including a combined Shangri-La, Traders and Sheraton resort complex, which will add 6,000 hotel rooms to the region.

Las Vegas Sands halted construction of its Cotai Strip developments in November 2008 when the company ran into financial difficulties and had to restructure its long-term debt. The company announced last year it was going to take steps to restart the projects.