A's Stadium Moving Forward as Bally's Las Vegas Remains at a Standstill

^{Renderings of Bally’s casino resort complex on the Strip, where Tropicana once stood. There’s no timetable on when the company will move forward with building anything surrounding the future home of the Las Vegas A’s. (Rendering: courtesy of Marnell Companies)}

Old casinos fall, and new ones rise. Las Vegas has demolished casinos like the Dunes, Desert Inn, and Stardust to make room for Bellagio, Wynn, and eventually Resorts World. 

The Tropicana implosion in 2024 was supposed to bring new life to the south Vegas Strip. One of the oldest Strip casinos was to be replaced with an MLB stadium for the soon-to-be Las Vegas A’s, along with an integrated resort casino developed by Bally’s.

After the casino and hotel were demolished, there were concerns that the A's couldn't afford the now $2 billion stadium. Construction is moving along at a good pace now, with a target opening date for the beginning of the 2028 MLB season.

While the A's plan is moving along, Bally's hasn't shown any signs of life. The area surrounding the stadium remains empty, with signs of construction for a casino, hotel, or other retail elements.

All Quiet on the Bally’s Front

The only sign of life from Bally's came in early April, when the company set up a pop-up casino to keep its gaming license. As we mentioned after visiting the trailer full of slots, there will likely be another pop-up casino in two years.

There's no start or finish date for the casino, hotel, or retail and dining complex Bally's has planned for its portion of the 35 acres of land owned by GLPI. 

Representatives from Bally's spoke at a meeting with the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) earlier this month regarding seeking a gaming license in the Silver State. Craig Eaton, President of Rhode Island Operations for Bally's Corporation, gave an update on where things stand during the meeting.

“We hired architects and people to look at the master plans, but that’s really where we’re at," Eaton said. "We haven’t gone any further.”

Mira Mircheva, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Bally's, followed Eaton and said the plans have not changed and remain relevant.

She further stated that they submitted entitlement applications to Clark County in 2025 and are awaiting approval. The company is also awaiting approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, as the property is so close to the airport.

While Bally's is waiting for approvals, she says they're actively negotiating with tenants for the retail, dining, and entertainment district around the stadium.

As NGCB members continued questioning on the timeline, she said it will be dictated by the approvals. When pressed about what will be open for first pitch at the new stadium, she said she expects the "amenities to follow the completion of the A’s stadium.”

Mircheva stumbled over her words and wouldn't commit to anything from Bally’s being ready for the stadium just saying that "would be ideal." 

Even if it does receive its approvals, the casino and hotel parts of the plan won’t be ready for quite a while. 

Rising Doubts Surfacing About Vegas Plans

For the first time since Bally’s announced its plan for Las Vegas, there’s a sense of doubt around the project from a prominent city official.

Steve Hill, CEO and President of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said discussing sports in Las Vegas with The New York Times: 

“Right now, Bally’s is saying that they are committed to do it. They don’t have the financing in place to do it. … There’s time to build it, plenty of time.”

This is the first time a public official has voiced doubt about Bally’s part in redeveloping the former home of the Tropicana. 

Hill is also chairman of the Las Vegas Stadium Authority, which has pressed Bally's to have a plan in place by August. His lack of confidence in Bally's continued when Hill said he is "not gonna predict the future," when asked if he expects the company to actually follow through on the plans.

Bally's has a lot on its plate right now, and Las Vegas could be low on its list of priorities. Two new casinos in large markets appear to be higher priorities.

Construction on Bally's Chicago is underway with an opening date next year. Bally's Bronx is still in the pre-construction phase with approvals pending.

If funds are limited, it would make sense to prioritize partially completed construction and larger markets over Las Vegas.

Next Milestone Update Expected in August

Meanwhile, the A's are planning to move forward with building a parking garage, a utility plant, and a plaza that will give guests access to the stadium. These were to be shared expenses that would increase the price of the $2 billion stadium.

It's easy to make assumptions about Bally's Las Vegas' future. There were doubts that the A's MLB stadium would ever be more than the pile of dirt the team showed off during the groundbreaking last year.

Bally's is waiting on approvals to move forward. Steve Hill says there needs to be some kind of action plan by August.

Stay tuned because there should be some kind of movement by the end of summer.