Forbes World Billionaires List Has 28 Casino Tycoons On 2023 Tally

Article ByDavid Weir

April 5, 2023

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Posted in: US Casino News, US Gambling News

The esteemed Forbes Magazine this week released its annual billionaires list for 2023. Surprisingly, there are few casino owners who made the 2000-strong list.

The US also leads this list once again overall, making up over one-third of the numbers. That’s a collective worth of $4.5 trillion alone.

All around, 2022 to 2023 wasn’t the best time for the super rich’s finances. The top 100 lost around $500 billion from last year’s collective assets, although they are still sitting on some $12 trillion in holdings all told.

Gaming the System

The richest casino owner on the list is Dr. Miriam Adelson, widow of the late Las Vegas Sands founder Sheldon Adelson. He was estimated to have a some $20 billion in net worth when he passed away in 2020.

His wife has seen her fortune increase even further since his death, with her 2023 net worth valued at $35 billion. That’s $7.5 billion more than in 2022, and enough to make her the 35^th-richest individual in the world.

Since Sheldon Adelson’s passing, Las Vegas Sands has continued its efforts to expand. Most recently, they celebrated the first victory on the long road to possible legal gambling in Texas – a cause Vegas Sands has lobbied hard for over the years.

A Golden Nugget

The next US gambling billionaire, although his investments are diverse, is Tilman Fertitta.

The owner of entertainment conglomerate Landry’s Inc, whidh owns the Golden Nugget casinos chain, is worth some $8.1 billion in 2023.

Not bad, considering his recent purchases included spending $2.1 billion to buy the NBA’s Houston Rockets in 2017 and an anticipated, though uncertain, $5.5 billion buyout of the NFL’s Washington Commanders.

Much farther down the list than you might think, considering his once high profile in the casino industry, is Steve Wynn. The Wynn Resorts founder actually stepped down from public and business life in 2018. However his wealth has stayed around the $3.2 billion mark every year since then.

Next on the list are Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta, brothers who are, in fact, distant relatives to Tilman. These two billionaire investors own Red Rock Resorts and Station Casinos. They made their fortune after selling Mixed Martial Arts combat league Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2016. That organization recently agree to buy a huge stake in global wrestling brand World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

The Fertittas cashed out for $4 billion in 2016, having bought the UFC brand for $2 million 15 years earlier in 2001.

The last American casino billionaire on the list is William Boyd (and family). The Boyd Gaming casino dynasty owns about 20 casinos across the US, including three on the Las Vegas Strip. Forbes called their net worth at $2.1 billion in 2023, down 3% on last year.