The Las Vegas Hilton is said to be getting close looks from prospective buyers who are believed to include at least one and perhaps two of the UK-based bookmaking giants who have been shopping for Nevada assets.

Reports from different unofficial sources say there has been a recent offer for about $160 million that may have come from William Hill, the British bookmaker that has recently purchased a number of smaller books and may be looking for a casino to use as a hub and a kind of "display case" for its best efforts.

The Hilton is increasingly viewed as buyable since the use of the Hilton name was pulled by the Blackstone Group, the equity fund that owns Hilton Hotels and controls the use of the Hilton name. Blackstone said use of the Hilton name and reservation system would no longer be allowed after the end of the year unless some of the deferred maintenance issues get serious attention.

The other side of the story, however, is that the Hilton has appeared to be close to a sale for a number of years at figures much higher than $160 million. But local property values along the Las Vegas Strip corridor are not what they were a few years ago. Still, there is no sale.

On the other hand, LVH owners Colony Capital and the Goldman Sachs White Hall fund may be more inclined to think of the hotel and casino as a real estate deal than a resort operation. Kind of the same way Fontainebleau owner Carl Icahn views his half-finished property on the other side of Paradise Road from the Hilton.