Newt Gingrich’s most important financial backer has suggested that the Republican hopeful has no future in the party’s primary race.

Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson has donated more than $15 to a pro-Gingrich super Political Action Committee - a group that lobbies on behalf of a candidate. But according to the Jewish Journal, he has expressed his belief that the former House Speaker is “at the end of his line”.

His comments were made at TribeFest, a Jewish leadership convention that was held at his Las Vegas hotel. At the event he added that he did not have high hopes of Mr Gingrich’s chances of securing the vice-presidential spot on the ticket either, which is picked by the presidential candidate.

However Mr Adelson did not offer overwhelming support for Mr Gingrich’s rivals. He said that while he liked and was friendly with conservative favourite Rich Santorum: “I don’t want him running my country.”

He said that the frontrunner, Mitt Romney, was “not the bold decision maker like Newt Gingrich is”.