Sports Tourism Still Driving Economics In Las Vegas; A’s Rally For 6-4 Win Over Colorado At Las Vegas Ballpark Friday
Story by Alan Snel Photos by Hugh Byrne
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Mr. Purple was in the house tonight for the Colorado Rockies vs Athletics game at Las Vegas Ballpark.
Mr. Purple is not this Rockies super fan’s real name. He’s Jake from Denver, a computer tech consultant who works from his home near Denver International Airport.
Jake tapped his bank account to pay for travel, lodging and tickets — money that fuels Las Vegas’ tourism-based economy that is relying more and more on sports-related visitors who come to this market for games just like tonight at the ball yard in Downtown Summerlin. The A’s are hosting six Big League games at Las Vegas Ballpark this week.
Mr. Purple watched A’s catcher Shea Langeliers turn around a 99 mph fastball into a 450-foot blast over the centerfield fence to give the Athletics a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Then, the next batter, A’s budding superstar Nick Kurtz, launched a pitch a remarkable 475 feet into the Summerlin sky and the A’s had a 2-0 lead.
Sports-related tourism is a growing segment of Las Vegas visitor-focused economy, which relies way too much on one economic sector and has made “diversify the economy” a cliche in this market. But the fact is sports tourism is a key economic driver. UNLV, for example, is creating a sports hospitality program, with events like the college football national championship game coning to Allegiant Stadium in 2027, college basketball’s Final Four coming to that stadium in 2028 and the NFL Super Bowl arriving in February 2029.
Oh, by the way, there’s also a $2 billion domed baseball stadium opening for the 2028 MLB season. The A’s are benefitting from a Nevada state bill that earmarked $380 million in government aid to help A’s owner John Fisher build the 33,000-fan ballpark at the old Tropicana hotel site. The Nevada legislative bills that helped fund the Raiders and A’s stadiums had one commonality — the word, “Tourism,” was in the official name of the legislation.
Friday night’s A’s game broadcast included stadium references like a top-shelf food and beverage experience created by noted restaurateur Will Guidara, who is hooking up with the A’s stadium food and beverage concessionaire, Aramark. The broadcast also included a construction cam video of the new stadium being built. Plus, the A’s front office has been giving tours of the stadium construction site this week with the club playing ball in Vegas this week.
The Rockies took a 4-2 lead, but Max Muncy — who played in this stadium as a Triple-A Aviators player — blasted a two-run double to tie the game at four apiece. The A’s then scored the go-ahead run on an errant throw by the Rockies catcher in the seventh inning. Lawrence Butler drove in an insurance run with a ribbie single that sent Muncy home in the bottom of the eighth inning.
The final: A’s 6 Rockies 4. The A’s have improved to 34 wins and 35 losses.
All six A’s games in Vegas this week are sellouts, with the team even offering a $15 standing room ticket.
PSA
