Raiders Sponsorship With The M Hotel-Casino In Henderson Yields New Raiders Restaurant With Woodson, Biletnikoff Wines Served
By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
The Las Vegas Raiders were cutting so many sponsorship deals that public relations events were literally being held weekly before the COVID-19 virus pandemic shut down the sports industry in the U.S. last year.
But on Wednesday afternoon, it seemed like the good ol’ days with Raiders President Marc Badain calmly explaining the virtues of another Raiders-connected deal. This time, Badain was singing the praises of The M hotel-casino in Henderson and its new Raiders Tavern & Grill restaurant that has space for more than 200 customers.
The M is the official team headquarters hotel of the Raiders — one of the many corporate sponsorships mined by the Raiders in this market thanks to their re-location to Las Vegas from Oakland for the inaugural 2020 season in Southern Nevada.
The Raiders have not enjoyed a very good won-loss record in the last two decades or so, but their brand is amazingly strong across the Western U.S. and even worldwide. So, it’s no surprise that the jerseys like former Raiders great Jim Otto are framed and hanging in the restaurant, while the jersey of former Raiders quarterback Jim Plunkett is being sold in the retail store inside the restaurant alongside the jersey of current QB Derek Carr.
And newly-minted Pro Football Hall-of-Famer and former Raiders defensive back Charles Woodson has a distinct wine touch at the restaurant, which serves Woodson’s Intercept wine line and even his bourbon.
Here’s Woodson talking about his wines Wednesday.
LVSportsBiz.com spoke with Anthony DeFalco, the restaurant’s GM, who noted that the Raiders-themed eatery can host fans for other sports besides the NFL like when the Vegas Golden Knights games are on TV. DeFalco explained the restaurant was previously an Asian restaurant, with the sushi bar converted into a full-service drink bar.
DeFalco said other former Raiders players have a presence at the Raiders Tavern. For example, the son of former Raiders tight end Todd Christensen sent the restaurant his dad’s Raiders jersey and memorabilia, which are framed and hanging in the restaurant. Christensen died in November 2013.
Another Raiders great, former wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff, also has a wine that is sold at the restaurant.
Here’s our interview with DeFalco:
Penn National Gaming, which owns The M, also owns Barstool Sports, which hopes to have a sports betting app operating in Nevada. DeFalco expects the Raiders Tavern to have a kiosk where customers can place wagers on sports down the road.
The Raiders Tavern & Grill officially opens to the public Thursday after Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting.
