So Las Vegas Has an NFL Team–Now What?

Written By Jessica Welman on March 31, 2017

[toc]With a few days to digest the news, Las Vegas residents likely have numerous queries about their new NFL team. The concept of the Las Vegas Raiders may be challenging for many to comprehend, particularly as the team will not be relocating to Nevada until 2020.

A few queries remain unresolved, while some are quite straightforward. Here’s a comprehensive guide on Nevada’s debut professional football team, the Raiders, addressing all the numerous questions surrounding them.

Are they the Oakland Raiders or the Las Vegas Raiders?

Currently, the Raiders are still the Oakland Raiders. Despite finalizing a relocation deal to Vegas, the team won’t move until the 2020 season. A new stadium needs to be constructed in Las Vegas to accommodate an NFL team and its fans. Consequently, the Raiders will remain in Northern California for a minimum of two more years.

The team’s plans for the third year are uncertain since there’s no agreement for the 2019 season. Sam Boyd Stadium in Vegas cannot serve as a temporary home, therefore it seems the solution won’t be found in Vegas.

Mark Davis, owner of the Raiders, wants to keep the team in Oakland for 2019. However, whether or not the city wishes to separate from the team before the team leaves them is their decision.

Davis says the team’s name will remain the same until they move to Vegas.

Am I going to be able to bet on Raiders games at Vegas casinos?

Historically, the NFL has been against sports betting. This stance contributed to the delay in the establishment of professional sports teams in Vegas due to the league’s concerns about operating in a city where sports wagering is legal. With the forthcoming arrival of a team, it seems that Vegas residents will still have the opportunity to place bets on Raiders games.

For a long time, bettors in Nevada were unable to place bets on sporting events involving UNLV or the University of Nevada. It wasn’t until 2000 that college games in Nevada were included on the betting list. However, even with this change, Las Vegas sporting events featuring the major leagues were still off-limits for betting.

Recently, regulations regarding betting on local events have eased. College sports often conduct events in Las Vegas, such as the yearly Las Vegas Bowl football game and the basketball tournaments of PAC-12 and Mountain West. Betting is permitted on all these games.

It seems that the NFL is taking a cue from college sports and is collaborating with Vegas betting, instead of opposing it.

Roger Goodell, the league’s commissioner, informed ESPN that there is no immediate plan to combat betting on the Raiders.

“He explained, “We will continue to study it, but currently, that’s not our stance, mainly due to the regulatory environment that could actually be advantageous in this scenario.”

Veteran sportsbook managers are forecasting a significant increase in business, and industry insiders believe the team will be advantageous for the Nevada sports betting industry.

Who is paying for this $1.9 billion stadium?

The Raiders are relocating solely because Oakland was unable to offer a stadium that met the team’s requirements. Las Vegas, on the other hand, pledged to exceed these expectations with a top-notch $1.9 billion venue.

The cost of this expensive new project will be shared among taxpayers, the NFL, and financing from Bank of America.

State legislators approved a stadium plan in November that would be funded by $750 million of hotel room taxes. Despite receiving significant criticism, supporters of the plan argued that the city’s unique status as a tourist destination would ensure the stadium investment would be self-financing.

The funding for the stadium is broken down as follows:

  • $750 million of taxpayer’s money
  • $500 million sourced from the NFL
  • $650 in BoA financing

Is Sheldon Adelson going to be a Raiders owner?

Last year, Sheldon Adelson, a casino tycoon, promised $650 million for the new NFL stadium. However, he retracted his offer shortly after the stadium measure was approved by the state legislature.

At present, no casinos are financially engaged in the stadium project. Additionally, no casino has a stake in the Raiders. The team continues to be owned by Davis and there are no plans for a change in ownership.

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Jessica Welman

Jessica Welman has been a prominent figure in the poker media for many years. Her experience includes reporting for the World Poker Tour, co-hosting a podcast on Poker Road, and managing editorial duties for WSOP.com. In addition to being a writer, Welman, who graduated from the University of Southern California and Indiana University, is also a producer. She has played significant roles in the WSOP and WPT livestreams and has consulted on a myriad of other poker productions. Welman can be contacted via her Twitter handle @jesswelman.

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