LAS VEGAS (AP) — Retired soccer star and sometimeunderwear model David Beckham has signed on to
help promote Las VegasSands’ properties in Singapore and the Chinese gambling enclave ofMacau.Sands said in
a statement that it hopes to cash in on Beckham’s popularity in the region.The Las Vegas-based company is
the largest casino operator in Macau, the center of the modern day gambling world.Thedeal may help Sands win
attention in mainland China, where casinos areillegal and casino advertising is also banned. Soccer is
hugely popularin China.Beckham appears to have started his new gig already.InNovember, he posed for
photographs with 100 local kids at the VenetianMacau and gave an hour-long interview. The children were
selected withthe help of several local community groups, including the Macau SpecialOlympics and the
Association of Rehabilitation of Drug Abusers of Macau.Detailsabout what the partnership will look like over
the long term arescarce. Sands said it will use the Beckham brand in dining and retailoptions at its
casinos.Michael Leven, Sands’ president and chiefoperating officer, said in a statement that the Beckham
brand will helpSands "as we aggressively explore opportunities to further expand ourpresence in
Asia."Over the summer, Beckham staged a similar event in Singapore, meeting about 60 kids at a Sands
casino there.Sands owns four booming casinos in Macau. The Venetian Macau is the largest casino in the
world.___Kelvin Chan in Hong Kong contributed to this story.___Hannah Dreier can be reached at
http://twitter.com/hannahdreier.Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rightsreserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten orredistributed.