Paradise, Nevada-headquartered casino giant Las Vegas Sands Corporation has confirmed that it is in search of a location/site in the Long Island area of New York State to build a state-of-the-art casino.

The casino operator, which claims to be one of the leading gambling and hospitality services providers in the entire world, also revealed that it started searching for Long Island sites after its Senior Vice President (SVP) David A. Paterson, a former governor of New York State, made suggestion for the same.

Paterson suggested that the company should look for a site in the Long Island area for its future gambling-friendly facility because the Manhattan area is already congested. According to the former governor, Long Island’s proximity to LaGuardia Airport and Kennedy Airport could make it an attractive casino destination.

When asked for a comment, a company representative said, “The most important thing about the location of a casino is proximity to the airports because a very high percentage of gamblers fly around the world and go to these casinos.”

High rollers would be able to get from Long Island, and particularly Queens, to the nearby airport within 15 minutes.

The casino giant is also considering some other potential sites for its envisioned gambling-friendly property, including the Nassau Hub and Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

However, Las Vegas Sands will have to secure a state license to operate a casino in the area. According to a Las Vegas Sands’ representative, the New York State Gaming Commission will open the application window sometime next month but no licenses are expected to be issued before late next year. Ron Reese, a senior Ls Vegas Sands executive, went on to revel that the company could invest $3 billion to $4 billion in new casino construction.

The envisioned casino would likely include large conference rooms, in addition to massive gaming space, eateries and other amenities. Kristen Reynolds, CEO of tourism promotion agency Discover Long Island, welcomed the idea of a new building a new casino resort in the area. He revealed that the area had to turn away approximately $35 million in conventions in the last few years due to lack of such facilities. Moreover, the new facility would give a big boost to local economy by generating new jobs for people and a new stream of tax revenue for the government.