Nevada governor approves Oakland Athletics ballpark funding bill

Governor Joe Lombardo has signed Senate Bill 1 securing funding for the Oakland Athletics baseball team stadium in Las Vegas.

US.- Nevada governor Joe Lombardo has signed Senate Bill 1 securing funding for the Oakland Athletics baseball team to move into a $1.5bn ballpark in Las Vegas. The new location will accommodate approximately 30,000 fans and is expected to receive more than 2.5 million visitors annually.

Their stadium will be constructed on the site of the current Tropicana Las Vegas in time for the 2028 season, according to the bill. The land is owned by Bally’s and Gaming and Leisure Properties. The firms offered the A’s 9 acres of the 35-acre site, worth an estimated $180m, for free. The SB1 bill will bring further funding with $380m of public money, $180m from the state and $145m from Clark County.

Lombardo said: “I’m excited to officially sign SB1 this afternoon. This is an incredible opportunity to bring the A’s to Nevada, and this legislation reflects months of negotiations between the team, the state, the county, and the league. Las Vegas’ position as a global sports destination is only growing, and Major League Baseball is another tremendous asset for the city.”

The A’s added in a statement: “Today is a significant step forward in securing a new home for the Athletics. We thank Nevada Governor Lombardo, Legislative leaders, and Clark County Commissioners and staff for their hard work, support, and partnership.”

Earlier in May, Bally’s Corporation announced that, in conjunction with Gaming & Leisure Properties, it had reached a binding agreement for the ballpark on a portion of the Tropicana Las Vegas property.

Nevada gaming revenue reaches $1.15bn in April

The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) has reported that the state’s casinos generated $1.15bn in gaming revenue in April. That’s an increase of 2.8 per cent year-on-year.

The Las Vegas Strip generated $624.7m, up 5.2 per cent year-on-year. Clark County as a whole, which includes the Strip, downtown Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, the Boulder Strip and surrounding areas, generated $994.9m, a 3.6 per cent increase. Washoe County, which includes casinos in Reno, Sparks, and North Lake Tahoe, saw revenue increase 2.3 per cent year-on-year.