Adelson, Lanni honored

Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2001 | 10:23 a.m.

Las Vegas gaming executives Sheldon Adelson and Terry Lanni each received national awards recognizing their roles in shaping recent developments in the Las Vegas gaming industry.

Adelson, chairman of Las Vegas Sands Inc., was named "Gaming Person of the Year" by Travel Agent Magazine for the creation of the Venetian resort.

The Venetian, the magazine noted, brought to the Strip "the finer points of life: luxury and pampering, aesthetic appeal, fine dining and art" and "painstaking recreations of famous palazzo interiors and exteriors." The magazine also noted the Venetian's strong restaurant offerings, which include restaurants by Wolfgang Puck and Emeril Lagasse.

And earlier this month, MGM MIRAGE Chairman Lanni received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2001 American Gaming Summit.

Lanni was recognized for leading the company through two major acquisitions that made it the largest operator of gaming properties in Nevada -- the 1999 purchase of Primadonna Resorts Inc. for $612 million, and the record-breaking, $6.4 billion acquisition of Mirage Resorts Inc. the next year.

Lanni was also recognized for his service on the National Gambling Impact Study Commission, as well as 18 years of service as a senior executive at Caesars World Inc.