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Resorts World Wants Las Vegas NBA Arena Close • This Week in Gambling







Resorts World has pitched the North Strip as the ideal location for a potential Las Vegas NBA Arena as professional basketball continues to evaluate expansion possibilities. The five-year-old integrated resort has held discussions with ownership groups bidding for a potential expansion franchise. Resort executives pointed to a 42-acre parcel of land near the property that is currently available for major commercial development. Property leadership noted that the northern stretch of the main boulevard has transformed into a high-end destination alongside nearby luxury resorts. The available real estate sits with clear access to major local transit corridors and already features existing electrical and road infrastructure capable of handling a sports facility of this magnitude.

A new Las Vegas NBA Arena on the North Strip would host 41 regular season professional basketball games each year alongside exhibition games, arena concerts, and large special events. Local business leaders believe a major venue would drive significant new visitation to properties operating between Spring Mountain Road and Sahara Avenue. League leadership recently confirmed that team owners received a detailed presentation regarding local stadium possibilities during a recent board meeting, where officials discussed building a modern facility to host a future team.

Three distinct investment groups are competing for the local franchise rights. One bidding group is headed by retail fortune heirs Nancy Walton Laurie and Bill Laurie. A second group includes regional hockey franchise owner Bill Foley and sports executive Jerry Colangelo. A third bidding entity features investment group founder Marc Lasry alongside investor Steve Apostolopoulos.

The league intends to wrap up its expansion review process by the end of 2026, with target markets in Nevada and Washington state positioned to receive new teams. If approved on schedule, new franchises could begin official play as early as the 2028 season. Project proponents emphasize that placing a Las Vegas NBA Arena within the established resort corridor ensures existing hotel and transportation networks can easily absorb regional event traffic while generating ongoing gaming and tourism revenue across neighboring commercial developments.