Connecting the Adelson, Blakeman dots in the Nassau Casino bid

Daily Point

Shifting Sands

Las Vegas Sands has announced an upcoming changing of the guard — a shift that could ripple through the debates over Sands’ efforts to build a casino at the Nassau Hub.

Current Sands President Patrick Dumont will take over as the company’s chairman and chief executive as of March 1, 2026, according to a company press release last week. Current CEO Robert Goldstein, who has taken an active role in supporting Sands’ efforts to bid for a casino license in New York, will become the company’s senior adviser.

Dumont has long been an active part of Sands, including as a regular presence on investor calls and a significant voice for the company. But his ascension to Sands’ top spot may bring more attention to his role — and his familial connections.

Dumont is the son-in-law of Miriam Adelson, Sands’ largest shareholder. He joined the company in 2010 and became its president in January 2021, in the wake of the death of his father-in-law, Sheldon Adelson.

Dumont and Miriam Adelson also co-own the Dallas Mavericks NBA franchise, after purchasing a majority share in 2023. Dumont represents the Mavericks on the NBA’s board of governors.

Miriam Adelson has been a longtime supporter of President Donald Trump, most recently attending a "candlelight dinner" fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago, where guests spent $1 million a seat at the event, which featured access to Trump, according to published reports.

The Dumont and Adelson connections alone bring with them increased scrutiny for Sands, which is expected to bid for one of New York’s three available downstate casino licenses. But Sands’ critics have also raised questions about the Adelson family’s indirect connections to Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. More than 20 years ago, Sheldon Adelson financially supported a lobbying firm called Freedom Watch, which was headed by Bradley Blakeman — the county executive’s brother. Bradley Blakeman has told The Point previously that he hasn’t communicated with Sands or his brother about the casino proposal.

While Miriam Adelson put $100 million into her own super PAC last year, called Preserve America, the entity was devoted only to Trump. There’s no indication that she’d throw her financial support behind local candidates like Blakeman, who is running for reelection as county executive this year and has been named as a potential candidate for governor in 2026.

Campaign finance records show Las Vegas Sands donated $5,000 to Gov. Kathy Hochul in December 2021, a contribution that came before the start of the downstate casino bidding process. Blakeman hasn’t received any donations from Sands, Adelson or Dumont, records show.

Still, it’s likely those opposed to a casino in Nassau County will utilize the connections — between Blakeman and Trump, Trump and Adelson, and Adelson and Dumont — as another layer in their battles.

And the timing is key. Bids must be submitted by June 27, and environmental reviews must be completed by the Community Advisory Committees vote, which is expected to occur by Sept. 30.

Decisions on the winning bids, which will made by the Gaming Facility Location Board and the state Gaming Commission, are expected before the end of the year.

In between, Blakeman will be running for reelection.

— Randi F. Marshall randi.marshall@newsday.com

Pencil Point

Yo-yo

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Quick Points

Fire alarms

• Lots of Long Islanders are saying the weekend’s brush fires reminded them of the 1995 Sunrise Fire. The way our climate keeps warming, chances are we’ll have more opportunities before too long to remember both of those fires again.
• President Donald Trump’s family business sued Capitol One for "unjustifiably" closing more than 300 of its bank accounts following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot for what the suit says is a violation of consumer protection laws. Interesting timing, given that the Trump administration is simultaneously trying to defang the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which enforces those same consumer protection laws.
• In the last two months, roughly since Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency began rampaging through the federal government, Musk’s SpaceX company has launched two of its giant Starship rockets intended to someday reach Mars — and both blew up. Metaphor, anomaly, parallel, warning, or random occurrence?
• The Trump administration has been cutting money for what it deems frivolous research. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is launching a study on the long-discredited connection between vaccines and autism. That suggests a peculiar definition of "frivolous."
• Asked about the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said, "Of course, foreign goods may get a little more expensive, but American goods are going to get cheaper." OK, but what about American goods made with foreign parts?
• Until recently, few Long Islanders likely knew there is a crime on the books called "Unlawful Speed Contest." Unfortunately, after episodes like the weekend arrest of a 23-year-old for driving 130 mph on the Long Island Expressway, now they do.

— Michael Dobie michael.dobie@newsday.com
 

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