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Why Are Sports Teams Moving to Las Vegas?

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posted on 2 years ago

Why Are Sports Teams Moving to Las Vegas?

A brief history of Las Vegas sports

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Source. YouTube[/caption] The Athletics are moving to Las Vegas, giving the city yet another pro sports team. The trend started in 2017 when the Las Vegas Golden Knights came as an expansion team and continued in 2018 when the Las Vegas Aces came to the area after formerly being dubbed the San Antonio Star. The Aces might have come second, but they were the first to win a championship in Sin City. This happened when Becky Hammon took over as head coach in 2022 and brought the team to a 26-10 record. The Aces then went on an 8-2 run in that year's playoffs, culminating in a 3-1 Finals Series win over the Connecticut Suns. Next, the Raiders arrived in 2020 for greener pastures. While fans were obviously happy to have an NFL team, they couldn't attend games until after the pandemic. However, when Covid-19 finally cleared, Raiders fans showed up en masse. And finally, the Athletics decided to call Vegas home last week. Why are so many pro sports teams moving to Las Vegas?

Perfect spot for events

[caption id="attachment_21662" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Las Vegas Raiders,

Source YouTube[/caption] The secret to Las Vegas' success as a sports town depends on who you ask, and there are a lot of interesting angles to consider. Las Vegas is now an event hub, holding some of the biggest games in the world. Sin City has already hosted the Pro Bowl, the WNBA All-star Game, a yearly NASCAR playoff race, and parts of the 2023 March Madness tournament. There are also many big-ticket events on the way, including the WNBA All-Star game, a Formula One street race, and the 2024 Super Bowl. Related: 5 biggest mistakes in Las Vegas sports right now

Most hotels in the US

[caption id="attachment_30056" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Las Vegas,

Source. YouTube[/caption] "Having more hotel rooms than any other US destination allows us to do things like hosting both the NFL Pro Bowl and the NHL All-Star Weekend at the same time in 2022, which is a great incentive for fans," Lisa Motley, the senior director of sports marketing and special events at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, explained. "None of those events could have happened here without the appropriate venue." According to Sportspromedia, Las Vegas is packed with "150,000 hotel rooms" and massive meeting spaces.

The Las Vegas Sports effect

[caption id="attachment_20609" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Allegiant Stadium,

Source. YouTube.[/caption] Another big factor in sports teams moving to Las Vegas is the "Las Vegas effect." This is the idea that Sin City sports fans are some of the most passionate and will show up for their team. The Golden Knights have shown this effect in real-time with the sixth-best home attendance record during the 2022 season. This passion and fan response make Vegas an ideal destination to have a sports team. "There is a 'Vegas effect," Mark Fine of the Las Vegas Lacrosse team said in an interview. "Some towns are more lukewarm about their sports teams. This is not one of them. This has been an untapped area for so long; that's why you're seeing all the interest of different leagues wanting to come in and make Vegas a home." Maybe it just comes down to the fact that Las Vegas can provide things that other locations can't. Between the hotel capacity, the rapidly growing population, and a relaxed stance on gambling, it's just an ideal destination. It all comes down to everything being bigger in Las Vegas, and that includes the sports. Next: 5 crazy Las Vegas sports conspiracy theories you need to know about