Las Vegas NFL stadium bill to lure Raiders is one step closer to passing
In an effort to lure the Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas, the Nevada state Senate passed a bill on Tuesday that would help finance a domed stadium in the city at a cost estimated at $1.9 billion. The vote passed by a 16-5 count, needing 14 yes votes to pass.
The legislation moves one step closer to being passing, with the Assembly needing two-thirds vote to pass. If that happens, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval is expected to sign the bill — and all that would stand between the Raiders moving to Vegas at that point would be 24 yes votes from the 32 NFL ownership groups at a league meeting in January.
The public financing plan calls for a county room tax that would provide a $750 million of public funds for the stadium and an additional $420 million for expanding the Las Vegas Convention Center. The remainder of the stadium cost would come from billionaire casino owner Sheldon Adelson ($650 million) and from the Raiders ($500 million).
Raiders owner Mark Davis has threatened to move the team if Vegas builds the stadium, although NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has maintained that there is a potential solution to keep the team in Oakland, even though the city has not promised nearly the same neighborhood of contributions for a new stadium there.
Several powerful Vegas moguls, including casino executive and owners, are among the proponents of the bill. They argue that luring the NFL to Vegas would create jobs and increase tourism, including among travelers who might not otherwise come to the city. Those concerned about the deal fear that an expedited timeline (to fit the NFL’s relocation process), location questions and — perhaps most of all — the public contributions, which are significant. On top of that, there are worries about hidden costs that always seem to arise with this magnitude of a project.
Still, even with a few big hurdles left, the idea of the Raiders moving to Vegas has become a little more likely.
