Ive spent the summer in LV asking people about this (ok not all people, but a few), and Ive gotten a lot of different answers. What do you think/know about this?

It would be so sweet to go watch some NHL, NBA, NFL or MLB between poker sessions!

The NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL don't want a team in Las Vegas because of the association with gambling. They don't want to run any risk of gambling influencing games (1919 World Series).

The NFL is the toughest about this and MLB isn't far behind.

The NBA loosened up a bit in 2007 when they let the All-star game be played in Las Vegas. But, that's as far as they seem willing to go.

What Dynasty said is undoubtedly correct but there are other reasons, all of which are somewhat interrelated.

Las Vegas only became large enough to support a team in the last decade or so, after each league had already expanded to their current size, with the exception of a handful of expansion teams that had been given to more favorable markets or had been granted a few years before Las Vegas became a viable sports market. It would still be one of the smaller markets if it did get a sports team.

Most locals don't have roots in Las Vegas and it's not clear how much demand there would be for tickets for a new team. Some proposals seem to assume that casino guests would fill the arena/stadium every night but this may be a bad assumption and a problematic strategy for a number of reasons.

Las Vegas has inadequate facilities to host any major professional team, so any team moving would require a new arena, although there are proposals to build one in place.

Outside of the gaming industry, Las Vegas lacks the corporate support needed to buy luxury suites, advertising, and other things that drive revenue.

Well, there's a Triple-A minor league pro baseball team in Vegas.

This wouldn't be an issue if UNLV had a stronger basketball program.

the NFL is so anti-gambling that you can't even work for the league if your resume has casino/gambling experience on it

Dynasty's probably right but I would have guessed the highly transient population and general lack of communal identity.

It would be strange because if we had a abseball team, there would be several games where the visiting team would have more fans in the stands.

That's pretty crazy. Does anyone know why the NFL is like this?

because they dont want ppl fixing the games i'm guessing

Yep. That's a pretty common sight in cities like Phoenix, Tampa and Miami. It would be even worse in Vegas, since there's a smaller population base to begin with.

Dynasty's post is dead-on. If Vegas was bigger there would be more thoughts about a team moving there, but they would still have a whole lot of obstacles (a big one being that probably all of the sports leagues would require the casinos to stop allowing betting on their sport). There was a proposal to build an arena near the Sahara and then convince an NBA or NHL team to move in, but that recently got shot down. In the end, there just isn't that much demand for a sports team when there's so much other stuff to do. Still, I'd put the chances of it happening in the next couple decades as something like this:

NHL: somewhat likely
NBA: somewhat less likely (and chances significantly diminished after the all-star game fiasco a couple years ago)
MLB: very unlikely
NFL: not a chance in hell

yea i heard that everyone just hated all star weekend. massive crowds of basketball fans who didn't gamble and didn't tip

Its hypocritical that the NFL doesn't acknowledge that if it wasn't for gambling their ratings on TV wouldn't be so high and with it they command a humongous contract....

oh yeah Footy season is around the corner.

LV doesn't need a franchise when just about everyone will be in the sportsbook.

Thank you all for good, serious replies! There are some very good points here. I dont have much to add, Im just curious and kinda follow the thread from the sidelines

Maybe the casinos want to keep people inside the casinos, gambling. Instead of eating hot dogs for five hours at the baseball stadium.

yeah, but with slots in every nook and cranny of Harrah Stadium.......

Haha, true true..

racist ban

That pretty much sums it up, although I was sad to see the AFL leave Vegas as well. It probably comes with the territory though once they pretty much sold their soul to the NFL.

What I remember most from the 2007 All-Star game weekend is that I walked from the Venetian to the MGM Grand and could smell marijuana during the entire walk.

A lot of them weren't basketball fans at all, but gangstas and gansta wannabes up from L.A. just to make trouble. Some drunk/high woman shot up another car on the strip, etc, etc.

What was said ITT about gambling is exactly opposite of what the deal is. Nevada books are prohibited from taking action on Nevada teams. The last thing the various pro leagues want is to have a team that nobody can bet on. They all know that betting is what drives the interest in pro leagues. If you think illegal books would be more than happy to take up the slack, not so. They depend on the lines set by Vegas, and want the safety net of being able to lay off action if need be.

At first I thought you were serious. Nice level.

This happens in some cities on a regular basis. Pretty much any time Yankees or Red Sox visit other AL East cities.

All very true. There would not be the home team loyalty that other cities have. Remember the kids who grew up here root for LA and San Diego teams.

Several years ago when I was on the planning commision there was always talk of getting funding for a stadium in the Union Park section west of downtown. It was Mayor Goodman's dream. But the reality is it would be a flop.

This was the case for every AZ Cardinals game until just a few years ago.