Raiders looking into moving to Vegas

[daneblazer]

Top Raiders brass will reportedly visit Las Vegas on Friday to scout a potential stadium site.

The reports are all a bit secondhand, but are based on a memo from University of Nevada Las Vegas president Len Jessup. Owner Mark Davis said he would neither confirm nor deny the report. With stadium efforts going exactly nowhere in Oakland, and Davis dead set against a move to St. Louis, Vegas is a highly interesting wild card option. The town has long been desperate for a professional team of any kind, but faced resistance as the American hub of legalized gambling.

[dfish]

By Howard Stutz
Las Vegas Review-Journal

Casino giant Las Vegas Sands Corp. is leading a consortium of investors that is proposing to build a $1 billion domed stadium on 42 acres near the University of Nevada, Las Vegas that would be home to school's football team — and possibly a National Football League franchise.
Andy Abboud, Las Vegas Sands' senior vice president of government relations and community development said Thursday Las Vegas needs a modern stadium with at least 65,000 seats to drive additional tourism to Southern Nevada.
Mark Davis, owner of the Oakland Raiders, is scheduled to meet with Las Vegas Sands Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson on Friday, possibly to discuss stadium details. A potential move by the Raiders to Los Angeles earlier this month was rejected by the NFL. Abboud said Las Vegas Sands has had conversations with officials from other NFL teams as well.
"We are moving forward with the stadium concept with or without an NFL team," 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."
The plans are conceptual and involve Los Angeles-based Majestic Realty Co., and UNLV, which closed on the purchase of 42 vacant acres along Tropicana Avenue east of Koval Lane earlier this month. UNLV wants to move its football program out of aging Sam Boyd Stadium, which sits in the east valley, to new facility closer to campus.
Abboud said the project would be a "public-private partnership" in which Las Vegas Sands or the Adelson family would contribute a large portion of the financing. He said the casino company, which operates The Venetian and Palazzo, as well as casinos in Macau, Singapore and Pennsylvania, could also raise financing for the project.
Abboud said the company may seek legislative approval for hotel room tax revenues that now support the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to be diverted to the project.
Las Vegas Sands plans to present its idea in February or March to the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee, which is tasked with finding ideas to further grow the tourism economy.
"Nothing will move that needle like a new world-class stadium," Abboud said.

[Mr KLC]

Doubt this happens. NFL has historically been against Las Vegas because of the gambling ties. They'll eventually swoop in and say this is a no go.

[jjgold]

Never know

Vegas 1st needs NHL team

[franklee168]

Since the Nfl is in bed with all the fantasy football sites now, it may loosen up the Vegas stuff now.

[Mr KLC]

I actually think that Vegas would be the perfect place to move the Raiders off to. Fits their attitude perfectly. I like the sound of the Vegas Raiders.

[franklee168]

I've got the twitter handle already so I hope it happens.

[POOLSIDE]

This is a match made in heaven

[Smoke]

It's all bullshit

[ZINISTER]

If they don't stay in Oakland, Vegas BABY!!

[DrunkHorseplayer]

Doubt this happens. NFL has historically been against Las Vegas because of the gambling ties. They'll eventually swoop in and say this is a no go.

If Mark Davis has his old man's attitude, that will be irrelevant.

[The Giant]

Zero chance.

[MoneyLineDawg]

Why does the NFL still insist on the public zero gambling tolerance policy? It's to the point where they aren't fooling anyone at all, even the squares out there don't believe a word of it and laugh whenever the NFL comments on anything gambling related

Atleast the NBA and MLB are embracing it and understand that widespread sports gambling and DFS is happening sooner rather than later so might as well join in on the profits....

It's not a big deal to just acknowledge what everyone already knows.....Sports betting and fantasy are what drives your popularity, is it that hard to admit publicly? What is the problem?

NFL higher ups and Goodell

[ToPHeR]

NFL also just bought interest in a live stats generator company. The companys clients include a bunch of linesmakers

[MoneyLineDawg]

NFL also just bought interest in a live stats generator company. The companys clients include a bunch of linesmakers

Yeah saw that...and an NFL spokesman said the same old bullshit line about not condoning any gambling or whatever

Enough with insulting everyone's intelligence on this issue, please....Zero people are buying your stance, NFL. Just give it up

[Mr KLC]

Raiders owner Mark Davis in Vegas today. (Center) Prolly just there to play roulette.

[jjgold]

I doubt they ever got here

Could they draw?

[rm18]

I doubt they ever got here

Could they draw?

Of course they will draw with guys who have money on the game plus some fans there are not much sports here.

[Ralphie Halves]

Nobody in Vegas talking about this like it's really going to happen. And we're the place that thought we were getting Pitino, we fall for anything out here.

It's just leverage for the new stadium in Oakland.

[Kermit]

Doubt this happens. NFL has historically been against Las Vegas because of the gambling ties.

That's what I have always thought too.

[jjgold]

So far this seems like the best answer

Nobody in Vegas talking about this like it's really going to happen. And we're the place that thought we were getting Pitino, we fall for anything out here.

It's just leverage for the new stadium in Oakland.

[Mr KLC]

According to Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News, owner Mark Davis plans to make a commitment on Thursday to pursue relocation to Las Vegas if financing for the proposed $1.3 billion stadium is approved. Roughly two-thirds of the funds would come from taxes imposed on tourists.

For Davis to be something more than a tourist, he’ll still need approval of at least 23 of his 31 business partners. As Bonsignore notes, the Charger, Rams, Texans, and Cowboys have strong reasons to support a Vegas move for the Raiders, since it would take them out of the running for L.A. or San Antonio. Under that reasoning, the 49ers likely would support the move, too, since a departure of the Raiders would give the entirety of the Bay Area market to the team that now plays in Santa Clara.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/04/26/mark-davis-will-commit-to-pursuit-of-relocation-if-las-vegas-stadium-funding-is-approved/

[Booya711]

They don't win in Oakland so they might as well try somewhere new

[jjgold]

it is getting close

Vegas blds stadium and Raiders are coming

[TheMartian]

Raiders owner throws down $500 million @ Vegas

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/04/28/raiders-owner-pledges-500-million-for-las-vegas-stadium/

[darrell74]

I will vote against it

[VeggieDog]

The Raiders just want Vegas to pony up some money like Irwindale did.

[Grits n' Gravy]

Never know

Vegas 1st needs NHL team

nobody gives a shit about hockey here. minor league team was a bust.

Nobody in Vegas talking about this like it's really going to happen. And we're the place that thought we were getting Pitino, we fall for anything out here.

It's just leverage for the new stadium in Oakland.

agree 100%. adelson is pushing it so hard for taxpayers get on board and foot the bill for his stadium.

Can't quite understand why the owners make such a big deal about the gambling. it is everywhere already anyways. they want a team in london which has casinos and betting spots everywhere you could possibly be. a Super Bowl in vegas would be insane. the rooms, activities, night spots......plus legal sports betting. numbers would be off the charts.

[pavyracer]

Where is Vegas going to get money to build a 2 billion stadium?

Will they have slots in every seat?

A sportsbook at the concessions?

[jjgold]

It's probably a 30% chance of happening I would think the casinos would have to chip in also


Gaming revenue is continually decline in Las Vegas also

[existential]

las vegas is a depressing soulless pit

[Mr KLC]

David Beckham and Tim Leiweke are working together to finalize a stadium that will cement an MLS expansion team in Miami, but that's not stopping them from trying to help the Oakland Raiders relocate to Las Vegas–and potentially bring MLS to Sin City as well.

The two appeared with Raiders owner Mark Davis and Las Vegas billionaire Sheldon Adelson at a meeting in Las Vegas attended by Mayor Carolyn Goodman and members of the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee on Thursday, speaking about the possibilities a new football stadium would mean for soccer in the city.

http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2016/04/28/beckham-leiweke-las-vegas-mls-expansion-raiders

[jjgold]

las vegas is a depressing soulless pit

yes if you live here

[ChuckyTheGoat]

yes if you live here

Gold, what would your outfit be, if the Las Vegas Raiders become reality?

Do u go as R2D2?

[Ralphie Halves]

agree 100%. adelson is pushing it so hard for taxpayers get on board and foot the bill for his stadium.

J-O-O

Kind of have to respect him for trying though.

Can't quite understand why the owners make such a big deal about the gambling. it is everywhere already anyways.

The owners are all old. It's the only explanation I can think of. That, or the dumb illogical fear that if they just full-on allow it, it will bring corruption into the game.

You can't be in bed with DFS and poo-poo sportsbetting at the same time.