Mark Davis is upping the ante in his bid to move the Oakland Raiders to the desert of Las Vegas.
The Oakland Raiders owner has made a $500 million pledge to push forward with the plan to build a stadium in Sin City, several media outlets have reported. The proposed 65,000-seat domed stadium will reportedly cost a cool $1.4 billion and will be built on a 42-acre lot a few blocks away from the Strip.
Davis has been working with casino operator Las Vegas Sands, along with its partner Majestic Realty, to sell the NFL stadium to the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee. During last week’s meeting, the stadium backers rolled out more specifics: the total private contribution will amount to $650 million—$500 million from Davies and $150 million from other partners—while the public share would be $750 million.
Las Vegas Sands President and COO Rob Goldstein told the tourism committee the stadium will give the city not only “a chance to attract an NFL franchise,” but even “bring some of the greatest events in the world that don’t come here today,” according to News3LV.
Also joining Davis in making the pitch last week was soccer star David Beckham, who has a business and promotional partnership with Las Vegas Sands’ properties in China.
The former football pro gave a different perspective on the use of the stadium: the possibility of bringing European soccer clubs to Las Vegas for summer matches.
“To bring a great organization like the Raiders is incredible, but it’s bigger than that,” Beckham said, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “It’s about the MLS (Major League Soccer) coming here, it’s about bringing in the biggest European teams like Manchester United.”
Davis’s offer might be tempting, but there’s still one lingering question: will the NFL approve Oakland Raiders’ move?
The NFL has been quite vocal in shunning Las Vegas in the past because of its legal sportsbooks, and it will be quite a feat to have the conservative league agree to have one of its 32 franchises move to the Sin City.
