Now that the Mob-era Tropicana resort is permanently closed on the Las Vegas Strip, the focus has shifted to a planned baseball stadium at that site as the new home for the Oakland Athletics.
On Gambling.com’s “The Edge,” Geoff Schumacher, vice president of exhibits and programs at The Mob Museum in Las Vegas, said the public “loves the idea of professional baseball coming to Las Vegas.”
However, the A’s planned move to that “prime real estate” on the resort corridor near the airport has generated “another level of discussion,” he said, adding that some have questioned the A’s ownership.
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After the Tropicana is demolished, a 33,000-seat Major League Baseball stadium is slated to be built at the site in time for the A’s to begin the 2028 season there.
In Oakland, team owner John Fisher has come under fire for the Athletics’ lackluster performance in recent years.
“People are very suspicious of whether he is the partner that Las Vegas really wants to work with,” Schumacher said.
By contrast, the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights have “unbelievably great ownership” under Bill Foley, Schumacher said. The defending Stanley Cup-champion Golden Knights have been successful since entering the league in 2017 as an expansion franchise.
With the Las Vegas Valley poised to add Major League Baseball to its sports options, Schumacher pointed out that there is “a lot of positivity about the A’s, too.”
“Many people are super excited about the idea of going to a ballgame right here in our hometown,” he said.
Las Vegas Success Depends On Constant Evolution
Also on “The Edge,” Schumacher discussed the Tropicana’s Mob history and its contribution to entertainment in the Las Vegas Valley.
In addition, Schumacher made note of the valley’s evolution as a tourist destination.
To be a successful resort on the Las Vegas Strip in the megaresort era, he said, “you have to be in a constant state of evolution” with many new things to offer to guests.
In recent years, the Tropicana has not been in the best shape, he said.
“Las Vegas has to be competitive on the Las Vegas Strip in particular,” Schumacher said.
