A lawsuit against American casino mogul Sheldon Adelson involving accusations of graft and ties to organised crime will be heard in the United States after the businessman lost a bid to force the case out of the country.

A Nevada state judge ruled on Friday that the suit against gaming conglomerate Las Vegas Sands Corporation and Mr Adelson, its CEO and chairman, should proceed in the US rather than the Chinese enclave of Macau.

Las Vegas Sands is headquartered in a Las Vegas suburb, but the case revolves around allegations by the company's former Macau casinos chief, Steven Jacobs, who claims he was wrongfully fired.

The ruling establishes that a Nevada court can exercise its jurisdiction over Sands China Ltd, the subsidiary Mr Jacobs headed.

Commentators have speculated that if the company is found to be at fault, regulators could revoke its gaming license.

Mr Adelson, whose net worth is estimated at nearly $28 billion, is a generous funder of pro-Israel Republican presidential candidates and a strong backer of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In her decision, Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez wrote that the control Mr Adelson and Las Vegas Sands wielded over Sands China "goes far beyond the ordinary relationship of parent and subsidiary."

Speaking on behalf of Sands China, spokesman Ron Reese said: "The company is pursuing all of its appellate options."