Las Vegas Allegiant Stadium Nearly Doubles Parking Capacity, Casinos Expect NFL Fans to Gamble

Posted on: October 3, 2019, 12:24h. 

Last updated on: October 3, 2019, 12:35h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More

Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Allegiant Stadium, the $1.8 billion future home of the NFL Raiders when the franchise relocates to Las Vegas for the 2020 season, has nearly doubled its parking capacity.

Clark County property records show that the NFL team acquired 17.3 acres of paved lots and commercial buildings in the area just south of Tropicana Avenue at Valley View Boulevard. The total purchase price was a little more than $28 million.

The location is about 0.6 miles north of the stadium, which is located west of the Strip and I-15 between Hacienda Avenue and Russell Road. Team officials say shuttle service will be provided from the parking area, but they expect most fans will walk.

The game day experience begins when they [fans] make their ticket selection on the internet, when they leave their house, and how smooth their transportation to the stadium is,” Raiders Senior VP Don Webb told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

MGM Resorts, the largest casino operator in Las Vegas, has voiced concerns regarding available parking for the stadium. MGM President Bill Hornbuckle said last year that the company is worried its nearby parking garages at Mandalay Bay, Luxor, and Excalibur would “be choked out” with football fans taking up spaces, therefore reducing parking availability for its guests and gamblers.

Gaming Industry Impact

Las Vegas is becoming a sports mecca, but gaming, of course, remains king. So, how will bringing the NFL to Sin City help casinos?

According to the Southern Nevada Infrastructure Committee (SNTIC), the domed, 65,000-seat venue is forecast to bring 451,417 “incremental visitors” – those who wouldn’t otherwise be visiting Southern Nevada – to the region each year. Allegiant Stadium will generate a $620 million annual economic impact and increase room stays by 708,400 nights a year.

SNTIC hired Applied Analysis to conduct a projection on what sort of money stadium visitors might spend. The firm concluded that each stadium visitor will spend $141 on gambling, $82 on food and beverage, $145 on shopping, $16 on stadium concessions, $64 per ticket, and $30 on entertainment.

Foot Traffic

Along with the Raiders buying the Tropicana Ave/Valley View Blvd property, Clark County Commissioners approved an agreement with the team this week to lease 19 acres of land at Las Vegas Boulevard and Warm Springs Road for parking purposes. Shuttles will be provided to the lot – which is currently vacant sand – to the stadium, roughly three miles north.

The commission additionally signed off on closing Hacienda on Raiders game days. That will allow fans to walk easily from the Strip over I-15 to the stadium.

Another potential parking area that was considered was the Bali Hai Golf Club, which remains controlled by notorious sports bettor Billy Walters, who was convicted on insider trading charges in 2017. The 155-acre golf course sits just east of I-15 and Russell Road.