Oakland A’s Reportedly Pivot to Tropicana Site, Strike Deal with Bally’s

The Oakland A’s have reportedly pivoted to a new site in Las Vegas.

Just weeks after saying they had reached a deal to acquire 49 acres owned by Red Rock Resorts, the team is shifting its focus to the Tropicana site, according to the Nevada Independent. 

Under the new plan, the A’s would reduce their public funding ask from $500 million to $395 million. The team had considered asking for an additional $150 million in property tax breaks on the Red Rock site, but it’s currently unclear if it would do the same for the Tropicana site.

Under an agreement with Bally’s, which operates the site, the Tropicana hotel and casino would be demolished, and the A’s would build a 35,000-seat retractable roof stadium on nine acres of the 34-acre site.

Bally’s would build a 1,500-room hotel-casino across from the stadium.

The new deal avoids the need for the A’s to acquire land. The site is owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties, which would presumably continue to do so under this arrangement. Bally’s pays that company $10.5 million annually on a 50-year lease.

A bill regarding public funds could be filed in the Nevada legislature by the end of this week. The legislature’s current session ends on June 5, and Gov. Joe Lombardo has not said whether he would call a special session to continue deliberations.