The Oakland A’s has received authorization from the MLB to finalize its move to Las Vegas, allowing the franchise to enable its agreement with Bally’s to build a ballpark at the site of the Tropicana Las Vegas Casino and Resort.
In a vote of MLB owners at the league’s quarterly meeting in Texas, the A’s received unanimous approval to relocate from California to southern Nevada from the 2028 campaign.
In May, the A’s reached an agreement with Bally’s to construct a $1.5bn, 35,000-seat retractable roof stadium on nine acres of the Tropicana Las Vegas.
Subsequently, a bill was passed at the Nevada legislature securing $380m of public funds for the project as Las Vegas increasingly diversifies its economy with the introduction of a growing sports base in the city.
Bally’s is yet to comment on the vote, but has released information over the last few months about its preparations for the approval. Under the plans, the ballpark will be located on nine acres of the Tropicana site. Bally’s has committed to operating the Trop for the foreseeable future but the property will be closed while construction is underway.
The firm has indicated it will be ‘evaluating all available options for a broader redevelopment of the remainder of the site that will be adjacent to the new ballpark’.
Bally’s told staff that, while development work takes place, Tropicana will close without a phased approach, and that employment will end simultaneously for all staff. However, at its latest earnings call, Bally’s noted that it is seeing staff leave in droves for other casinos with better job security as the Tropicana will be closed and redeveloped for the ballpark.
Following the completion of the redevelopment and construction of the ballpark, Bally’s anticipates more than 2.5 million fans and visitors annually.
