Las Vegas is embracing sports more than ever.

The city boasts a brand new NFL stadium that hosted the Super Bowl this past February, along with annual Formula 1 races taking place along the Strip. The UFC is holding fights at the Las Vegas Sphere, and there are arenas filled with fans cheering for NHL and WNBA teams.

In the last ten years, Las Vegas has welcomed three major league sports teams, two of which became champions recently. With the upcoming demolition of the Tropicana, plans are in motion to introduce Major League Baseball with a new stadium for the Athletics, who have relocated from Oakland, California.

This is all part of a vision to transform Las Vegas into the “sports capital of the world.”

“In the past, there was some interest in sports, but we never thought we could attract major league teams. This was partly due to gambling restrictions and our city’s smaller size,” noted Michael Green, a history professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

However, following a surge in population and the legalization of sports betting in many parts of the U.S., “the pieces started falling into place,” Green added.

How Sports Betting Contributed to Las Vegas’ Expansion

The evolution of Las Vegas’ relationship with sports has been significant over the last twenty years.

Back in 2003, the NFL turned down a proposal from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority to run a Super Bowl advertisement. At that time, Nevada was the sole state with legalized sports betting, and the league pointed to a contract clause with networks that banned gambling-related ads—even though the proposed advertisement did not mention betting.

Fast forward to the 2010s, and major sports leagues began changing their views on Las Vegas’ connection to sports betting. The NHL introduced the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, and that same year, NFL owners voted 31-1 to allow the Raiders to move from Oakland to Las Vegas.

In 2018, a Supreme Court ruling overturned a law that banned sports gambling outside of Nevada, highlighting a major shift in perspective. States across the nation began passing laws to legalize sports betting, with proponents arguing that it would generate significant tax revenue. In 2018, the American Gaming Association estimated that the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL could collectively earn around $4.2 billion annually from widespread sports betting.

Currently, 38 states and Washington D.C. allow legal sports betting, per data from the American Gaming Association, which represents the casino industry.

“It’s remarkable how quickly public opinion has shifted regarding legal, regulated sports betting,” remarked Becky Harris, a prominent figure in gaming and leadership at UNLV.

While some research indicates that the legalization of sports betting may have negative repercussions for American families—such as increased credit card debt and overdrafts—Las Vegas has benefited positively from this change.

According to Steve Hill, CEO and president of the LVCVA, the stigma that enveloped gambling in Las Vegas in the early 2000s is “mostly a thing of the past.” He believes that without this stigma fading away, Las Vegas would likely not have the sports teams and events it enjoys today, particularly NCAA happenings.

“If sports gambling was still restricted to only a few areas, there would be doubt and hesitation. That doubt is what kept professional sports away from Las Vegas. Without that issue being resolved, the city’s sports landscape would be significantly different,” Hill told YSL News.

Enhancing the Allure of Las Vegas

This venue is a paradise for sports enthusiasts, featuring multiple outdoor pools facing a giant 40-foot-tall high-definition screen that showcases games, along with a three-story sportsbook.

Circa was planned “before sports betting was legalized, but we always believed in its potential,” Stevens said.

“We thought it would eventually become legal,” Stevens told YSL News. “It always seemed logical to us.”

Alan Feldman, the director of strategic initiatives for UNLV’s International Gaming Institute, noted that Vegas has long been a hub for major sports events like the Super Bowl and Final Four. Nowadays, sports fans can enjoy these moments not just in sportsbooks but also within the arenas themselves.

“This creates reasons for millions of visitors from across the country to make their way to Las Vegas,” he added.

According to a survey in 2023 by the LVCVA, 6% of visitors attended a sporting event during their stay in Las Vegas, up from only 2% in 2018.

“This has expanded interest in Las Vegas and significantly grown our market,” stated Hill. “It’s now a fundamental part of our identity.”

Additionally, Las Vegas’s new venues have enabled the city to host various significant events. While Allegiant Stadium is home to the Raiders, it also attracts visitors for concerts by top artists such as Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.

Hill compared the stadium’s transformative impact on Las Vegas to that of the Mirage, which was the first megasort on the Strip, 35 years ago.

“These might represent the two most crucial investments that Las Vegas has experienced,” he remarked. “They are integral to the city’s development and have made a substantial difference.”

A study conducted in 2023 by UNLV’s Center for Business and Economic Research found that the presence of significant sports teams has positively impacted the local economy by attracting more tourists and generating “new valuable jobs” related to sports education and various sports fields.

While this may not necessarily diversify Nevada’s tourism-driven economy, CBER director Andrew Woods mentioned that it has contributed to the growth of that sector.

“We can clearly see that this has been beneficial for the economy,” he stated. “Our success still heavily relies on the leisure and hospitality sector, but sports continues to enhance the success of leisure and hospitality.”