In April 1996, Sheldon Adelson announced plans to create the largest resort on the Strip. This project would be situated on the former Sands property. On November 26, 1996, eight years after it was purchased by the owners of The Interface Group—Adelson, Richard Katzeff, Ted Cutler, Irwin Chafetz and Jordan Shapiro, the Sands Hotel was imploded to make way for The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino. Groundbreaking for the hotel began on April 14, 1997. The resort opened on May 3, 1999, with flutter of white doves, sounding trumpets and singing gondoliers. Actress Sophia Loren joined The Venetian Chairman and Owner, Sheldon Adelson, in dedicating the first motorized gondola. Built at a cost of $1.5 billion, it was one of the most expensive resorts of its kind when it opened. On June 27, 2003, the 1,013-room Venezia Tower opened. It was built on top of the garage parking lot. In 2010, it was announced that it will be affiliated with InterContinental Hotels Group. In October 2011, the Cantor Race & Sportsbook opened, which was the only Las Vegas sportsbook that was open 24 hours a day. On June 11, 2012, the Venetian opened Carnevale, a summer-long festival that is anchored by a nightly 3-D projection show on the clock tower. In September 2012, The Blue Man Group show closed and relocated to the Monte Carlo, after being at the Venetian for six years.
In October 2001, the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum opened within the resort, featuring its first collection. In October 2005, Blue Man Group officially opened at the Blue Man Theatre. On June 24, 2006, the show, , opened at a new Paris Opera House styled theatre at The Venetian. The show concluded on September 2, 2012. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill headlined their Soul2Soul concert series which began in December 2012 and ended in April 2014. The Venetian is home to 4 theaters: The Opaline Theatre, The Palazzo Theatre, The Sands Showroom, and The Venetian Theatre. The adjacent MSG Sphere Las Vegas, which is being built in partnership with The Madison Square Garden Company, will open in 2021.
Clubs
In 2015, TAO Nightclub generated over $50 million in revenue, according to Nightclub & Bar Top 100. With an Asian-inspired theme, TAO features a 20 foot tall Buddha statue, an infinity edge pool stocked with koi, eight private "sky boxes" with mini-bars, a 40-foot-long terrace with views of the strip, and two dance rooms. TAO Beach, located on top of TAO Nightclub, is the Venetian's day club and pool party. It offers seven cabanas, each with television, DVD player, Xbox 360, a stocked mini-fridge and a safe for valuables.
Legal problems
In 2004, the Venetian agreed to pay a $1 million penalty to settle a 12-count Gaming Control Board complaint. One of the 12 complaints alleged the hotel had held a drawing for a Mercedes-Benz that was rigged to be won by a high roller who had lost a large amount in the casino. The executives involved were fired. In 2013, the Venetian agreed to pay the U.S. Department of Justice $47.4 million to settle charges over "alleged money laundering activities".
Impact of COVID-19
Like its sibling Las Vegas casinos, The Venetian closed indefinitely in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2020, The Venetian announced plans to incorporate emergency medical personnel and automatic camera-based body temperature scans into its reopening sometime after May 2020.
A suite from the Venetian is featured as a location in the movie '.
Various Venetian locations were settings for the introductory scenes of the movie Rat Race.
The exterior of the Venetian is portrayed in the movie, '. There is a dramatic zombie attack scene which takes place on the Venetian's replica of the Rialto Bridge.
;Television
"Building the Venetian" was the subject of an episode of the show MegaStructures.
The U.S. TV series What Not to Wear shot its series finale at The Venetian, inviting more than 100 past contributors from the show's successful 10-year run to participate.
