The mysterious purchase of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Nevada’s largest daily newspaper, last week left many guessing who was behind the acquisition, even the publication’s own employees. On Thursday, it was confirmed, however, that casino tycoon and staunch internet gambling opponent Sheldon Adelson (pictured) was behind the $140 million deal, causing some to speculate why the billionaire would pay a premium for the newspaper.

Last Friday, the Review-Journal reported that a newly created LLC called News + Media Capital Group had made the nine-figure purchase from the previous owner, Stevens Media LLC, which included the Review-Journal along with its eight other dailies and 65 weekly newspapers.

Michael Schroeder, manager of News + Media, initially failed to comment on the company’s investors, leaving company employees, along with media watchdog groups, concerned about who was pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

Nevada Representative Dina Titus, along with the Society of Professional Journalists and others, urged the new buyers to reveal themselves. “A lot of people are being very brave working for the RJ and calling for this. And, this is a bigger issue because it applies to the press anywhere. So, I decided I’m going to speak on the floor,” she said.

Surprisingly, the paper launched its own investigation and produced a 1,800-word report which identified Adelson’s son-in-law, Patrick Dumont, as the man behind the deal, working at the behest of the billionaire.

On Thursday, Adelson’s family confirmed that the Sands Corporation CEO had indeed made the purchase. The billionaire chose to delay the announcement, it said, as to not take attention away from this week’s Republican debate, held at Adelson’s own Venetian Resort and Casino.

“We understand the desire of the hard-working staff at the R-J and others in the community to know the identity of the paper’s new owners and it was always our intention to publicly announce our ownership of the R-J,” it said in a statement accompanying the article.

With an estimated net worth of $24.5 billion, Adelson is ranked #15 on the Forbes 400 Billionaire List. Known for being a cutthroat businessman, the 82-year-old found success after creating the Comdex Computer and Technology Tradeshow in 1979. He later purchased the Sands Hotel and made billions as one of the first to open a casino in the Chinese gambling enclave of Macau.

News + Media’s $140 million purchase of the Review-Journal is $38 million more than New Media Investment Group paid for the paper and all of its sister publications. Many believe that Adelson’s acquisition is part of a broader strategy to influence the political landscape in Nevada, a swing state.

The Sands CEO is also vehemently against online gambling and has tried to use his political influence to pass an anti-iGaming bill called the Restoration of America’s Wire Act, or RAWA. Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) has twice introduced the legislation in Congress, but has seen support for the bill plummet, especially after a disastrous hearing he held on the topic last week.

While the hearing didn’t turn out as Chaffetz had hoped, the Poker Players Alliance warned that the lawmaker still might try to include the bill as part of a must-move, end-of-the-year spending bill. On Wednesday, however, Politico reported that the move was rejected and that RAWA would not be added to any must-pass legislation.

Adelson has pledged to spend “whatever it takes” to squash iGaming in the US.