LAS VEGAS – Raiders owner Mark Davis says he wants to relocate the team to Las Vegas and is willing to invest half a billion dollars on a new stadium in the city.
Davis upped the ante in his bid to relocate the club to this gambling city, testifying before a committee on Thursday alongside soccer great David Beckham and billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson about a $1.4 billion stadium proposal.
He told committee members that he is not a billionaire but will invest $500 million, with $200 million coming from an NFL loan, to build a stadium to relocate the club to Las Vegas.
“Together we can turn the Silver State into the silver and black state,” Davis said in a statement.
Davis mentioned that the Raiders played an exhibition game in Las Vegas in 1964, which was the only time subsequent NFL teams played in the city. The Raiders defeated Houston in front of an overflow crowd at the city’s baseball park.
“With your help it won’t be another 50 years before the Raiders play another game in Las Vegas,” Davis said in a statement.
Adelson, the owner of Las Vegas Sands, is spearheading the construction of a 65,000-seat stadium just off the Las Vegas Strip to hold a range of events, including UNLV football, soccer matches, and major concerts. However, the Raiders’ participation is propelling the stadium forward, and Davis’ attendance before the committee represented the most firm commitment to bringing an NFL club to the city to yet.
The Raiders have a one-year lease in Oakland for next season, and Davis said the team will likely stay until a new stadium is completed. He suggested the Raiders might play a preseason game in the ancient 40,000-seat UNLV stadium, but it was unsuitable for regular season games.
Davis stated that he is devoted to passing on his father’s legacy with the Raiders, and that the most important factor in ensuring the Raiders brand continues on is the team’s new stadium.
The NFL has historically avoided Las Vegas, refusing TV commercials and instructing players not to appear at casinos. However, Davis believes owners will agree the relocation if the stadium is built.
“If we give them an offer they can’t refuse and that’s what we’re talking about now, I don’t see a problem,” he said.
The discussion before the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee occurs as the stadium campaign gains momentum. Backers said they will request a special session of the Nevada Legislature in August to approve diverting some room tax funds to the stadium.
Overall, Davis, Adelson, and others plan to invest $650 million in the stadium, with the remainder coming from tourism taxes.
Beckham, who is backing a prospective Miami Major League Soccer team, sat next to Davis at the meeting, providing some star power to a town that has traditionally welcomed celebrities.
“It’s a bigger idea, it’s about the MLS coming here, it’s about bringing the biggest European teams here like Manchester United,” Beckham told the BBC. “To be able to come here and be part of this and being able to speak this morning is a huge honor to myself.”
In recent weeks, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell eased the league’s opposition to Las Vegas, saying it would be up to owners to decide whether to locate a club in a city with regulated sports betting.
However, the NFL plays games in London, where numerous betting parlors accept wagers on the games, and Davis said he was convinced he could win a vote among fellow owners to move.
