Proposed $1B domed stadium could lure Raiders to Las Vegas

[Betallsports]

Sin City could be the NFL's next destination.





The "Las Vegas Raiders" were trending on Twitter Thursday after a casino giant announced a proposal that could lure the NFL to town.


Las Vegas Sands Corp. is leading a group of investors who are proposing to construct a $1 billion domed stadium on 42 acres, the Las Vegas Review Journal reported. The proposal says that the stadium would sit on land near the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and would serve as the school's football stadium. It could potentially even be tantalizing enough to attract one of the NFL's 32 franchises.


Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis is planning to meet with Las Vegas Sands Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson on Friday, "possibly to discuss stadium details," according to the report.


The Raiders attempted to move to Los Angeles earlier this month, but were rejected by the NFL.


"We are moving forward with the stadium concept with or without an NFL team," Las Vegas Sands executive Andy Abboud said Thursday. "We see a lot more opportunities — conference championships, bowl games, NFL exhibition football, boxing, soccer, neutral site games, and music festivals. There is an entire segment out there."


NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said at last year's State of the League that he hasn't had any dialogue with officials in Las Vegas about how that could happen successfully.


This stadium proposal could be a big component in the NFL's consideration of Las Vegas as one of their next home towns.

 

[RenoChazz]

That would be cool with me.

 

[loomis41973]

Best idea Vegas and the Raiders have had in years.

 

[arniesarmy]

Here's the AP story....

By MICHELLE RINDELS

Associated Press

The billionaire owner of the Las Vegas Sands casino company wants to help build a domed stadium on the UNLV campus and is meeting with the owner of the Oakland Raiders, company officials said Thursday.
Sands spokesman Ron Reese said the casino company envisions a public-private partnership to build a $1 billion, 65,000-seat stadium that could be shared by a professional team and UNLV. The Sands would likely partner with other investors and might seek to draw on public revenue sources, such as hotel room tax revenue earmarked for promoting tourism.
The Raiders have no lease for a stadium for next season after NFL owners earlier this month shot down their plans to move to the Los Angeles area. The team is negotiating a short-term extension with officials in Oakland and Alameda County but is also looking for a permanent new home to replace the outdated Coliseum.
Sands owner Sheldon Adelson has scheduled a Friday meeting with Raiders owner Mark Davis. Reese didn’t elaborate on the nature of their discussions and the Raiders declined comment.
Adelson’s company includes the Venetian and Palazzo hotel-casinos on the Las Vegas Strip as well as casinos in Macau, Singapore and Pennsylvania.
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval commissioned a tourism infrastructure committee to screen ideas to attract more visitors and “nothing will move that needle like a new world-class stadium,” Reese said in a statement about the development, which was first reported by Nevada political journalist Jon Ralston.
Oakland is trying to arrange a plan to build a new stadium at the Coliseum site but the city has no firm plans or funding in place, even with an additional $100 million pledge from the NFL after the owners’ vote earlier this month.
The Raiders have an option to move to Inglewood with the Rams at their new stadium if the Chargers decide to stay in San Diego. Davis also has looked at San Antonio and could look into moving to San Diego if the Chargers leave and he can negotiate a new stadium deal with officials there.
Las Vegas has been overlooked by professional sports franchises because it is home to legalized sports betting. But Reese said Las Vegas now draws more revenue from non-gambling entertainment than betting and fears of match-fixing are outdated.
“This town is about so much more than gaming at this point,” Reese said. “We think that stigma is a thing of the past.”
UNLV officials sounded an optimistic tone about a potential partnership, but noted that nothing was final. The school recently purchased 42 acres near the urban campus and close to the Las Vegas Strip. UNLV has longed to build a stadium closer to campus than where the Rebels now play at Sam Boyd Stadium, nearly nine miles away.
“If a public-private partnership can be formed that includes the development of a new special events stadium with little or no cost to UNLV — and we have access to use the facility — then it would be of great value to us,” UNLV president Len Jessup said in a statement.
Several efforts to bring a stadium to Las Vegas have fallen through in recent years, largely over resistance to publicly financing the projects. The latest ambitious sports venue in the area — the 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena set to open in April — was privately funded by casino company MGM, a Las Vegas Sands competitor.
Support from Adelson, who’s consistently ranked one of the world’s richest people, could mean a better fate for the latest proposal.
“Projects like this need a lot of very, very strong leadership — a lot of conviction, a lot of focus, and great resources,” said Craig Cavileer of Majestic Realty, the project’s development partner. “Certainly Sheldon and his team have proved time and time again that they produce great projects.”
———
Associated Press sports writer Josh Dubow contributed to this report from San Francisco.

 

[Betallsports]

this just might work with bringing in a NFL team

but I wouldn't bet on them in a game

 

[The Guesser]

If Al Davis was still alive, he'd move without NFL approval and dare them to sue him. I'm not sure his son would do it, and there is no way the NFL would get 24 votes to move to the Gambling Capital with that idiot Goodell as Commish.

 

[Mr_Mark]

moving to SD if the Charges leave? that makes no sense.

Vegas seems interesting... could a tourist destination sell enough tickets? I am sure casinos will be season ticket holders and comping those out. Only 8 homes games a year but on a hung over Vegas Sunday morning.

 

[JackStraw77]

As long as the Sportsbooks agree to drop all NFL wagering in the state it could happen. That would be the first stipulation from the league. If you think it would just be taking the Raiders off the board think again. The NFL would require all NFL wagering to cease. Sure people in town will still bet with street guys and the offshore stores but as far as the public perception it would eliminate any hint of impropriety. I think an NFL team would raise the status of Las Vegas. It would be the perfect city to host a Super Bowl. Everything is in place, hotels, restaurants, golf courses, shows, night clubs, you name it. Without wagering on the NFL the league won't care even if people can still bet on the NBA and NHL. The casinos would never go for this because wagering on the NFL means everything to the town on the weekends and Mondays from September to February. Super Bowl weekend would still be busy even in the years when the town wasn't hosting the game. The problem is you lose the hardcore whales that come to town that weekend. The guys that dump hundreds of thousands into the millions at the tables. It's just too important.

 

[wagerminds]

Well this would be interesting. Not sure how NFL C level executives feel about placing a team in a gambling mecca.

 

[Defying]

As long as the Sportsbooks agree to drop all NFL wagering in the state it could happen. That would be the first stipulation from the league. If you think it would just be taking the Raiders off the board think again. The NFL would require all NFL wagering to cease. Sure people in town will still bet with street guys and the offshore stores but as far as the public perception it would eliminate any hint of impropriety. I think an NFL team would raise the status of Las Vegas. It would be the perfect city to host a Super Bowl. Everything is in place, hotels, restaurants, golf courses, shows, night clubs, you name it. Without wagering on the NFL the league won't care even if people can still bet on the NBA and NHL. The casinos would never go for this because wagering on the NFL means everything to the town on the weekends and Mondays from September to February. Super Bowl weekend would still be busy even in the years when the town wasn't hosting the game. The problem is you lose the hardcore whales that come to town that weekend. The guys that dump hundreds of thousands into the millions at the tables. It's just too important.

i dont think this is true, but I could be wrong.

 

[Vlad the Impaler]

Why would the Raiders being in town have anything to do with betting? If a player wants to go rogue, he will go rogue no matter where the team is located.

 

[JackStraw77]

The Chargers are staying in SD for another season to see if they can work out getting a new stadium. This is all going to turn into a moot point because the Raiders will take the LA deal if SD relinquishes it by 2017. The Raiders are very popular in LA and this would be the best solution for them in the new Inglewood project.

 

[stylinprofilin]

if this doesn't work out right away, could always see them in San Antonio playing in the similar Alamo Dome. looked like a solid spot for football when the Saints were playing there during the Katrina season

 

[cloverleaf]

My question would be if they are going to spend all that money...why only 65,000 seats?

 

[RenoChazz]

As long as the Sportsbooks agree to drop all NFL wagering in the state it could happen. That would be the first stipulation from the league. If you think it would just be taking the Raiders off the board think again. The NFL would require all NFL wagering to cease. Sure people in town will still bet with street guys and the offshore stores but as far as the public perception it would eliminate any hint of impropriety. I think an NFL team would raise the status of Las Vegas. It would be the perfect city to host a Super Bowl. Everything is in place, hotels, restaurants, golf courses, shows, night clubs, you name it. Without wagering on the NFL the league won't care even if people can still bet on the NBA and NHL. The casinos would never go for this because wagering on the NFL means everything to the town on the weekends and Mondays from September to February. Super Bowl weekend would still be busy even in the years when the town wasn't hosting the game. The problem is you lose the hardcore whales that come to town that weekend. The guys that dump hundreds of thousands into the millions at the tables. It's just too important.

That would never happen, we already get to wager on UNLV and Nevada home games. NHL has a team coming to Vegas and you'll be able to bet that too.

 

[RenoChazz]

That would never happen, we already get to wager on UNLV and Nevada home games. NHL has a team coming to Vegas and you'll be able to bet that too.

The books wouldn't even stop hanging lines on the Raiders. And no way in hell would they ever stop hanging lines on all of the NFL. NHL will be the ginny pig. The Knights may be playing by next season 17-18 season for sure. If it goes well all the other leagues will follow. Betting on sports will be legal in all 50 states before Vegas stops taking action on NFL games.

 

[VIEJODINOSAUR]

New Jersey has a better shot getting sports betting than Las Vegas has in getting a NFL franchise...

 

[sharky99]

New Jersey has a better shot getting sports betting than Las Vegas has in getting a NFL franchise...

agree