�Spending over a billion dollars on recreating a city as famous as Venice, a city rich with architectural history, was a tremendous and ambitious undertaking and has required immense cooperation from all construction trades. All those involved with this project should be proud of the effort they�ve given so far,� said William P. Weidner, President and C.O.O. of The Venetian Casino Resort, LLC, during a ceremony held atop the resort�s five acre pool deck for construction workers and company executives closely associated with the project. 

�Topping out is a clear signal all facets of construction are coming together as originally planned,� Weidner added. �When complete, we intend to unveil a project that is unmatched in Las Vegas.� Construction on the all-suite hotel/resort, retail, casino and convention complex began on April 14, 1997 and is scheduled to be completed, on or before, April 21, 1999. 

�Now that installation of all structural steel for the hotel tower and podium are complete, we will shift our focus to the exterior and interior façades that bring the intricate details of renaissance-Venice to life,� said Weidner of the $1.2 billion mega-resort modeled after Venice. �As the weeks progress, The Venetian will transform into the buildings and architecture that make Venice famous,� Weidner added. 

As of early August, the steel framing of the 315-foot Campanile Tower, the famous bell tower that adorns Venice�s St. Mark�s Square, was 100% complete. �We are dedicating our efforts to carefully rebuild all the famous icons of Venice to full-scale such as the Doge�s Palace, St. Mark�s Square, the Campanile Tower, the Rialto Bridge, and the Grand Canal - all with the finest detail,� Weidner added.

�When we are done, people will be amazed at how we were able to authentically recreate Renaissance-Venice, build the world�s largest hotel, retail and convention complex, and create the best appointed and largest standard rooms at the highest quality,� Weidner added.

Upon completion, The Venetian will boast the world�s largest hotel and convention complex which includes 3,036 hotel suites, the first all-suites hotel on Las Vegas Boulevard; approximately 116,000 square feet of gaming floor; approximately 500,000 square feet of retail space at The Grand Canal Shops; approximately 500,000 square feet of meeting space at The Venetian Congress Center; and a direct link to the approximately 1.15 million square foot Sands Expo and Convention Center.

�In keeping with our strategy to redefine Las Vegas� culture, The Venetian�s goal is to reach beyond the simple �must see� approach to achieving the �must see, stay, dine, shop and experience� by assembling premium hotel rooms, brand name restaurants, exclusive retail, state-of-the-art gaming and convention space in one spot and under one roof,� Weidner added. To find out more about The Venetian you can visit our web site at http://www.venetian.com.

Certain matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Actual results and the timing of certain events could differ materially from those projected in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including general economic conditions, acts of God, and competition for construction, hotel, casino, food and beverage, and related labor and materials in the Las Vegas market. Reference is hereby made to the �Risk Factors� set forth in the Company�s Form S-4 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.