As the landscape of professional sports continues to evolve, Las Vegas is quickly becoming a hotbed for franchises looking to capitalize on the city’s unique blend of entertainment and growing local enthusiasm for sports. The Oakland A’s, a Major League Baseball institution with over a century of history, have recently set their sights on the neon lights of Vegas, in a move that has fans, lawmakers, and entrepreneurs buzzing with anticipation. We sat down with key figures from the organization to discuss this potential relocation, examining the motivations, challenges, and the economic ripple effects such a monumental shift could generate.
Vegas Legal Magazine: What were the major reasons the Oakland Athletics decided to leave Oakland and move to Las Vegas?
Oakland Athletics: After four years of working exclusively on a new ballpark in Oakland, (Major League Baseball) expressed concern about the rate of progress in Oakland. At the same time, MLB also asked us to consider a new venue in the alternate market of Las Vegas. We spent two years on parallel paths in Oakland and Las Vegas. MLB and the (Major League Baseball Players Association) together imposed a deadline of January 2024 to secure a binding agreement for a new ballpark. Given the January 2024 deadline and the absence of a deal in Oakland, our efforts in Las Vegas intensified. In May 2023, Bally’s announced a deal to provide nine acres of land on the site of the Tropicana Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip for a new ballpark. In June 2023, the Nevada Legislature passed, and Gov. Joe Lombardo signed SB 1 into law, providing a public-private partnership in support of a new ballpark at the site of the Tropicana Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.
VLM: If the A’s franchise ownership decided that staying in Oakland was not a viable option for the future, why was Las Vegas selected over other cities that also desired to have a major league baseball team?
OA: MLB provided the alternate market of Las Vegas. Bringing baseball to Vegas will secure its place as a sports and entertainment capital of the world. Vegas has seen tremendous success with the [NHL’s Vegas Golden] Knights, [WNBA’s Las Vegas] Aces, [NFL’s Las Vegas] Raiders, [National Finals Rodeo] and soon, [Formula 1 racing].
VLM: Tax breaks, and public funding, for stadiums work in many different ways. While the NFL’s (now-Las Vegas) Raiders received millions – for their stadium — through an extra room tax for Nevada visitors, the A’s tax funding will work a different way. Can you talk about how the tax funding for the A’s new Las Vegas ballpark will be structured?
OA: The public contribution to Allegiant Stadium was funded by an increase in the existing room tax in Las Vegas. The public contribution to the A’s new ballpark is being funded by a combination of transferable tax credits from the State of Nevada, and bonds that will be issued by Clark County. A majority of the transferable tax credits — and all of the bonds issued by Clark County — will be repaid by taxes that are specifically generated from the building and operation of the new A’s ballpark.
VLM: The A’s will be playing in Oakland at least through the 2024 season. As the Las Vegas ballpark is not expected to be completed until 2028, where will the A’s play after the 2024 season – and prior to the new ballpark’s completion?
OA: Where we will play in the interim has yet to be determined.
VLM: What kind of a boost do you expect the Las Vegas economy to get from the A’s move to Las Vegas?
OA: A 30,000-fan capacity ballpark creates a unique venue for year-round use. The ballpark is expected to attract 2.5 million annual visitors and fans, including an estimated 400,000 new incremental tourist visitors to Las Vegas. During construction, the project will create 16,000 construction jobs for local residents. The A’s new ballpark will require approximately 14,600 jobs over a three-year construction period, will support 5,400 jobs on an annual basis, and have $1.3 billion in annual economic impact.
VLM: The A’s have plans for an approximately 30,000-seat ballpark to be built on the Las Vegas Strip. This will be one of the smallest major league baseball stadiums or ballparks. Can you please discuss why team ownership decided to go for a smaller venue? What are the benefits of the smaller seating capacity?
OA: MLB is trending toward building more intimate ballparks, which allows every seat to feel close to the field. We had considered a similarly intimate ballpark in Oakland.
VLM: Las Vegas locals complain that some of the major sports franchises already in town – specifically the NFL’s Raiders and the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights – price their tickets out of range for the average fan. Does the Athletics’ team ownership have plans to make going to A’s games in Las Vegas affordable for locals?
OA: We expect to have tickets available at a range of prices, including family-friendly tickets.
VLM: How much of a factor was the location of the Athletics’ triple A affiliate – the Las Vegas Aviators — in the parent club’s decision to move to Las Vegas?
OA: We see tremendous benefits to having our minor league affiliate in the same market. Vegas has seen success with this model with the Golden Knights and Silver Knights.
VLM: Are there any concerns by A’s ownership, or management, about an oversaturation of professional sports in Las Vegas by the time the new ballpark is completed?
OA: With games from March to October, baseball will fill a gap in the Vegas sports calendar, catering to both locals and visitors.
VLM: Is the marketing of the soon-to-be “Las Vegas A’s” going to be primarily directed at tourists or at locals, or both?
OA: While these plans have yet to be solidified, it’s important to market to both tourists and locals.
VLM: Is there anything else that you think is important to discuss about the A’s planned move to Las Vegas?
OA: We are appreciative for all the encouragement and support we have received to date in Nevada, and we are looking forward to joining an incredible community.
Valerie Miller is a Las Vegas Valley-based award-winning journalist. She can be reached at (702) 683-3986 or [email protected].
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