Digital Wager Wire highlights the most important events impacting the domestic and international sports betting and gaming industry each week throughout the year.
Las Vegas Beckons for NBA Franchise
Rumors about league expansion have been swirling for years, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has publicly stated that a return to Seattle may be in the cards while a franchise in Sin City also has plenty of allure.
Las Vegas is currently home to the NFL’s Raiders and NHL’s Golden Knights. The former Oakland A’s will become the Las Vegas A’s when their gleaming new stadium is finished in 2028. That leaves one major professional sports franchise vacancy that could be filled if the NBA comes calling.
Silver’s Vision
In a candid interview in November, Silver explained, “Nothing’s been set, and we haven’t even determined whether to expand yet. My sense is that if we expanded, we’d do an even number because then we might have to do some adjustments in the conferences.”
Silver added, “But I think it makes sense to have two conferences of 16 teams if we were to do it. There have been times in the past in the NBA when we had an odd number, so it’s possible. But I think we most likely, if we were to expand, would look to expand to two cities.”
Las Vegas holds plenty of appeal for coaches and players alike who have played Summer League games there, as well as those whose teams made it to the knockout round of the Emirates NBA Cup held at the T-Mobile Arena, home of the Golden Knights.
Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said, “I love it as a host city. I mean, this city is a convention, a big event city. This is a big event, so it’s perfect for this. … I’m assuming Vegas will be in the NBA someday. Baseball is here, football is here, and everything else is here, right? So, we need to come as well. I think it would be great. I think it will happen.”
Player Support
Oklahoma point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who recently played in the NBA Cup Championship at the T-Mobile Arena, said, “I think it would be great. The Cup is here; the Summer League is here. We can feel the basketball culture in Vegas as players when we come. I think it’s only a matter of time. The city really embraces basketball, and they deserve it for sure.”
Hard Rock Bristol Sets Record in Opening Month
The Hard Rock Bristol is Virginia’s second casino and first hotel and casino resort. If business remains as brisk as it was in the casino’s first month of operations, this newest Hard Rock property will be a resounding success. After winding down operations in the middle of October in its temporary facility, the permanent location didn’t open for business until the middle of November.
Yet, it took only half a month to break a revenue record, generating an adjusted gross revenue of $18.1 million, which eclipsed the previous record of $16.3 million set in March 2024. The state’s tax coffers received a check for $3.2 million after the lucrative month.
A widely publicized grand opening ceremony on November 14th, in which country music star Blake Shelton played late into the night, attracted plenty of glitz and glamor at Bristol’s $515 million, 620,000-square-foot Las Vegas-style casino resort.
Commitment to the Community
CEO and President of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Bristol Allie Evangelista, shared her company’s commitment to giving back to the community they serve.
“We have so many people suffering from the impact of the hurricane, and we work with the Red Cross. We thought this is the right thing,” said Evangelista. “We want to get our community on their feet and rebuild their homes. We can make whatever money they need to get back into their beautiful lives, and then they can come here and enjoy with us.”
