On April 2, the Tropicana Las Vegas is set to close its doors, marking the end of its nearly 67-year run, making way for a new baseball stadium and resort.
Bally’s, the Rhode Island-based owner of the Tropicana since 2022, revealed plans for the demolition of the 44,000-square-foot casino and the 1,400-room hotel. In their place, a 30,000-seat ballpark will be constructed, serving as the future home for the Athletics.
The Athletics, having agreed to move from Oakland to Las Vegas in November, join the trend of sports teams relocating to the vibrant city. This move follows the NFL’s Raiders relocating from Oakland to Las Vegas in 2020 and the NBA’s Golden State Warriors moving from Oakland to San Francisco in 2019.
All hotel bookings at the Tropicana will be concluded, and customers with reservations beyond the closure date will be relocated. Additional details regarding bookings, reward club cards, and gambling transactions can be accessed online at troplv.com.
The Tropicana Las Vegas, originally opened on April 4, 1957, and dubbed the “Tiffany of the Strip” in promotional materials, will be forever etched in history. At its inception, the 300-room hotel claimed the title of the most expensive property in Las Vegas, boasting a $15-million price tag, as reported by the Nevada State Journal.
Throughout its storied existence, the Tropicana’s casino served as a backdrop for notable films such as Elvis Presley’s “Viva Las Vegas” in 1964, the 1971 James Bond movie “Diamonds Are Forever,” and the 1972 classic “The Godfather,” where it underwent a temporary transformation into the Tropigala.
Occupying 35 acres at the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, the hotel-casino is slated for demolition, paving the way for a planned $1.5-billion ballpark encompassing 9 acres of land. As outlined by Bally’s, the master plan includes the integration of a proposed resort into the development.
Anticipated to be operational by 2028, the stadium faces a timeline that extends beyond the termination of the Athletics’ existing lease with the Oakland Coliseum at the conclusion of the 2024 season. This situation could potentially leave the team without a home on a temporary basis.
It’s sad to see the iconic property in Vegas but the town does love sports and will no doubt be supportive and create a whole new army of new diehard Athletic fans in the near future.