The odds just got a lot better that the Oakland Raiders are coming to Las Vegas. The team announced Monday that Bank of America has agreed to become a partner, putting the project back on track.
The financial institution apparently will step in for Sheldon Adelson, who pulled out of the plan, taking his $650 million with him.
That left a big void for the NFL team that people were not sure they could fill. The organization initially said Goldman Sachs was going to take the casino mogul’s place, but the company said it never promised anything.
Panic set in with Sin City leaders, who are desperately trying to get an NFL presence there to bring in more tourist and tax dollars.
Odds Differ on Relocation
One Costa Rica based online bookmaker doesn’t likes the team’s chances of getting there by 2018. They made the no side a minus-250 favorite with yes at plus-190.
Local icon Jimmy Vaccaro told the Las Vegas Review Journal that the odds would be much lower if he were setting the line.
“A lot of people are talking 10-1 or 100-1, but I would make it much lower,” Vaccaro said. “It’s a lot closer to happening than we once thought. It should be less than 10-1.”
Drama Follows Raiders
It appears the three-time Super Bowl champions can’t do anything simply and controversy seems to be with them wherever they go.
The plan to move appeared to be a done deal when it was first announced more than a year ago but has taken more twists and turns than a mountain road.
Before Monday’s partnership announcement, the city of Oakland threw a Hail Mary and proposed a new stadium in a desperate attempt to keep the team in the Bay Area.
It called for a 55,000-seat stadium that would be financed with money from a private organization, the Raiders and the city of Oakland. The league previously rejected a similar submission from the group. Besides Davis has indicated he wants to move.
“I just think the time is now,” Vaccaro said. “I think it’s going to happen. Maybe it’s a little wishful thinking, too.”