Oakland A’s Make Offer on Las Vegas Land, Site Could Become Future MLB Ballpark

Posted on: November 22, 2021, 10:46h. 

Last updated on: November 22, 2021, 12:48h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
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The Oakland A’s aren’t fully committed to staying in California’s Bay Area. That was made evident last week by the MLB team making an offer on an unspecified parcel of land in the Las Vegas Valley.

Oakland A's Las Vegas MLB baseball odds
Oakland A’s President Dave Kaval stands inside the MLB team’s home ballpark in July of 2021. The A’s continue to mull relocating to Las Vegas after MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told the franchise that its Oakland Coliseum is no longer a suitable ballpark for MLB games. (Image: Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Oakland Athletics President Dave Kaval confirmed to the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the team submitted an offer to acquire land in Southern Nevada. However, neither Kaval nor the A’s would confirm where the land is located.

We’re kind of moving from a phase of research and data gathering to action around a final site,” Kaval revealed. “That’s really important, because the site selection is a really critical path to keep the process moving forward to where we could have a holistically blessed project.”

Kaval’s comments show that Las Vegas is likely the team’s preferred relocation destination should the A’s fail to reach a deal with Oakland and Alameda County for a new baseball stadium.

Sports City

Prior to the US Supreme Court’s May 2018 landmark ruling that repealed the federal ban on full-scale sports betting everywhere but Nevada, Major League Baseball — as well as the NFL, NBA, and NHL — shunned Las Vegas as a host city due to Nevada’s widespread legal sports betting. League commissioners and executives theorized that allowing games to take place in the same area where legal sports gambling is rampant might jeopardize the integrity of the contests.

Three and a half years later, Las Vegas has quickly become a major live sports destination. The NFL Raiders, NHL Golden Knights, and WNBA Aces now call Sin City home. With more than 145,000 hotel rooms, a major international airport, and nearly 300 days of sun a year, Las Vegas is viewed in many circles as a most ideal hub for hosting major sporting events.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told the A’s in the spring that if they cannot reach a financing deal for a new stadium in Oakland, they should begin exploring their options.

Kaval explained that a new stadium in Las Vegas would likely come with a price tag of around $1 billion. The A’s president said along with determining where such a complex might be located in Southern Nevada, the team is considering potential financing arrangements for what the franchise hopes is a public-private partnership.

The $1.9 billion Allegiant Stadium — home of the NFL Las Vegas Raiders — is one such public-private partnership. Clark County contributed $750 million towards the 65,000-seat domed stadium that is located just west of the Strip and I-15 near Mandalay Bay. The $750 million in public funds came by way of a slight increase in the hotel occupancy tax levied on stays within Clark County.

A’s World Series Odds Long

The Oakland A’s will call the Coliseum home through at least the 2022 season. Sports bettors aren’t overly enthusiastic regarding their upcoming season and World Series chances.

DraftKings has Oakland at 45/1 to win the World Series next year. Only 11 other teams have longer odds.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the betting front-runners at 11/2 (+550).