Posted on: Sep 20, 2021 at 8:28 am
Last updated: September 20, 2021, 8:37 am.
Oakland A’s MLB franchise says it will decide whether to move to Las Vegas after the World Series ends in late October or early November.
The stands at the Oakland Coliseum are largely empty in April. The Oakland A’s are still looking for a new home, and Las Vegas is expected to be shortlisted. (Image: Getty)
The A’s are considering following their ex-neighbor – the Raiders – to southern Nevada. The A’s face the same predicament as the NFL team a few years ago when they decided to flee the California Bay Area for the benefit of the country’s casino capital.
Oakland and Alameda County officials continue to struggle to find a funding arrangement to build a new professional sports stadium complex. As a result, the A’s are looking into potential new homes.
A President Dave Kaval recently said the team’s decision on where to call home will be made in the postseason. Kaval said the list of candidate cities would be narrowed down after the fall classic.
The World Series begins on October 26th. For interested bettors, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the favorite to win the Commissioner’s Trophy at +280. The Houston Astros are next with +475 and the Milwaukee Brewers are third with +700.
The A’s still have a slim chance of reaching the postseason. But for their title chances, DraftKings Oakland has a +12,000 chance of winning, which equates to an implied chance of 0.83 percent. A stake of $ 5 and the almost unthinkable event would bring in $ 600.
MLB house hunter
Kaval and other A-Organization representatives once again toured potential locations for the club’s future home in southern Nevada. The team was accompanied through town by Clark County commissioners, union leaders and Henderson Mayor Debra March.
The A’s have now made six trips to Las Vegas and visited about 20 locations across the valley. Kaval said earlier this year that a new ballpark in Nevada would likely cost around $ 1 billion. The Allegiant Stadium, the 65,000-seat domed home of the Las Vegas Raiders, costs almost twice as much.
Speaking to the San Francisco Chronicle, Kaval explained that an MLB stadium is very different from an NFL stadium in that it would play at least 81 games a year, compared to just nine NFL home games. Accessibility for the baseball site is key.
The different locations have different advantages and disadvantages when it comes to market segmentation and easy entry and exit, especially with 81 games, ”said Kaval. “We started with 20 websites and it has slowly worked its way down.”
The A’s have not commented on whether they have a preferred location in Las Vegas. The team said they prefer to be close to the entertainment. “Our business is entertainment,” explained Kaval.
Touchdown for Las Vegas business
COVID-19 prevented the Raiders from showing Sin City the benefits of having an NFL team in town. That changed on September 13th when the crowded Allegiant Stadium presented the Raiders’ new pad to the world during Monday Night Football.
The Raiders’ 33-27 win over the Baltimore Ravens drew 15.2 million TV viewers, the highest-rated Monday Night Football show since 2013. Local Las Vegas companies reported a sharp surge in business as a result of the game.
For example, Hennessey’s Tavern Downtown on Fremont Street told KTNV that sales on a typical Monday are between $ 4,000 and $ 5,000. But last week the pub reported sales of $ 9,000 as the bar was overflowing with Raiders fans.
