Bally’s Corporation is entering into a “transformational” deal with the Oakland A’s baseball team that will see the casino operator building the baseball team a new stadium on the current site of the Tropicana. It’s an absolutely massive deal that will bring huge crowds of baseball fans to Las Vegas’ fabled Center Strip.
Under the terms of the deal, the A’s will build a 30,000 person stadium on nine acres of the 35-acre parcel where the Tropicana stands today. Bally’s purchased the Tropicana from Gaming and Lesiure Properties (GLPI) and Penn Entertainment (PE) last year for $148 million. The stadium’s total $1.5 billion construction cost will be funded by a mix of private and public money.
There are unconfirmed reports that Bally’s is also planning to build a new hotel/casino on the site as well. It would definitely make sense for Bally’s to build a casino on the site, which has housed a casino since 1957, as the stadium is expected to draw in 2.5 million visitors a year.
Bally’s President, George Papanier celebrated the deal in a press release saying, “We are honored to have been selected to partner with the Oakland Athletics on this monumental step in helping to bring Major League Baseball to the great city of Las Vegas, and to be a part of the once in a generation opportunity of having a professional baseball team located within a short walk of the Las Vegas Strip.”
Oakland A’s President Dave Kaval was similarly enthused adding, “We are excited about the potential to bring Major League Baseball to this iconic location. We are thrilled to work alongside Bally’s and GLPI, and look forward to finalizing plans to bring the Athletics to Southern Nevada.”
The new stadium is expected to be completed sometime in 2027 or 2028.