How Could Pro Sports Shake Up Vegas?

There’s no shortage of entertainment options in Las Vegas, but one thing that’s eluded the city for years is a major sports team. The leagues have resisted the idea because of Vegas’ other major industry: legalized gambling.

But that appears to be changing. Today, the National Hockey League is expected to announce  (opens in a new tab) that it’s bringing a team to the city—the first expansion that the NHL has allowed in more than 15 years. The league’s decision could lead to other major teams showing up, including an NFL team.

The American Gaming Association has been pushing for big-league sports in Vegas. “The placement of the first major professional sports franchise in Las Vegas reflects a rapidly evolving view of gaming as an important, mainstream segment of the broader economy that supports 1.7 million jobs and serves as a community partner in 40 states,” AGA stated last week, as word of the NHL expansion first leaked out  (opens in a new tab).

In comments to The New York Times  (opens in a new tab), Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman argued that Vegas has room for both gambling and the major leagues. “Pro sports are a natural here,” she said. The Times noted that at least one prominent owner, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, has also suggested that pro sports would be a good fit for Vegas.

How the addition of pro sports will shake up the convention mecca remains to be seen.

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The T-Mobile Arena, the sports venue that opened in Las Vegas in April. (Wikimedia Commons)