A Nevada judge has denied Las Vegas Sands Corp.'s request to throw out a jury verdict awarding a former consultant $70m in a breach-of-contract case. After hearing arguments presented by both sides, District Judge Rob Bare declined to overturn the decision a jury reached in June.

Attorneys for the US casino company presented 12 reasons the company should be granted a retrial for the award, in which Hong Kong businessman Richard Suen said he helped Sands win a gambling license in the Chinese enclave of Macau.

Sands is now expected to appeal to the state Supreme Court.