Macau casino mogul Stanley Ho hospitalized

"He is in satisfactory condition and is progressing well in recovery," the statement said. The confirmation of Ho's hospitalization came after Hong Kong media reported Tuesday different medical reasons for his stay at Hong Kong Adventist Hospital.

Pictures from Hong Kong's Apple Daily newspaper showed a stream of Ho's family members, including daughter Pansy and son Lawrence, visiting the hospital Monday. None of them commented on Ho's health.

Ming Pao Daily cited Angela Leong, one of the four women Ho calls his "wives," as saying last week that he needed treatment because of a rectal injury that he suffered two years ago following a procedure to relieve constipation.

Apple Daily newspaper, meanwhile, cited an unidentified source as saying that Ho had fallen and hit his head last week at Leong's home and that he required brain surgery. The report said he is in stable condition in Adventist Hospital's intensive care unit.

Leong did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press seeking comment. The hospital also declined comment. Uncertainty over Ho's health sent shares of his company Sociedade de Jogos de Macau Holdings, or SJM, 4.5 % lower on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Ho, worth more than us$ 9 billion according to Forbes, presided over Macau's casinos for four decades until his monopoly was broken up in 2002. Since then, he has faced fierce competition from American operators such as Wynn Resorts Ltd. and Las Vegas Sands Corp., but SJM still leads with nearly 30 % of the local gambling market.