Las Vegas’ gambling takes backseat to economics at NFL meetings

HOUSTON — One by one, billionaire owners of NFL teams made their way out of the annual fall meetings Wednesday, many of them stopping to answer questions about the relocation of the Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas.

One by one, it became abundantly clear what criteria they will evaluate most before choosing a side: It’s about the market, man.

Other than commissioner Roger Goodell, who somehow kept a straight face when saying his league doesn’t support legalized sports gambling, those owners interviewed offered a far more progressive response.

In other words, none broke out in hives and began foaming at the mouth at the thought of Las Vegas housing an NFL team in a town filled with casinos and sports books.

“Las Vegas has changed over the years,” Houston Texans owner Bob McNair said. “It’s a more family orientated destination now as opposed to just the gaming. It has made a lot of progress changing its image. This is a fluid situation. Once we nail it down and see the entire package and analyze it, then we can make a decision at that point.”

He meant that more than fearing betting lines and parlays, owners desire specific numbers on things such as potential corporate support and how strong a fan base Las Vegas could create to support the Raiders over the long term.

Would the economics of a $1.9 billion domed stadium prove to be successful?

What sort of fan experience would Sundays offer?

Simply, how would the fifth-smallest media market in the NFL, ahead of Green Bay, Buffalo, New Orleans and Jacksonville, stand up to the league’s policies and expected level of prosperity?

Raiders owner Mark Davis is confident Las Vegas would work — and then some. Davis already had a market study on Las Vegas completed and has plans for two more to be prepared before Thanksgiving. The league will complete a market study of its own, with results of all such examinations potentially being shown to owners at a December meeting in Dallas.

Davis spent about six minutes Wednesday updating 31 fellow owners on the stadium proposal, which requires $750 million in increased Clark County hotel room taxes. (The increase was signed into law Monday by Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval.) Davis also reportedly stated his intention to file for relocation in January.

Market size might not mean as much to the NFL as it does to the NBA or NHL — pro football is that incredibly popular across the nation, no matter the size of city — but proving Las Vegas can and will support his franchise now and for decades to come is absolutely the highest hurdle Davis must clear to receive the 24 owner votes needed for relocation.

Much of it, of course, is guesswork as the town’s population continues to grow.

“Thinking outside the box, I think Las Vegas is going to be one of the most exciting franchise opportunities there is,” Davis said. “There is so much there we can take advantage of that is exciting.

“It’s unfair for people to keep bringing up, ‘What if Oakland does this or what if Oakland does that?’ Las Vegas has already done what it is supposed to do, and we just need to present it to the league and get approval to move to Las Vegas. Oakland was in the driver’s seat (for more than six years) if they could get anything together (on a stadium). They came up with nothing. Zero. We’re going to work very hard to get (Las Vegas) done, and it’s going to be awesome.”

Davis reiterated — for the final time, he said — two conversations with Sandoval in which the owner told the governor he was in no way using Las Vegas as leverage in hopes of landing a new stadium in Oakland or elsewhere.

That, once the deal was approved by the Nevada Legislature, he was moving his team to Las Vegas.

The latter still has a ways to go, given that Goodell’s office continues to work with Oakland officials in search of a last-minute stadium option. The commissioner also didn’t totally exclude the NFL acting as developer there to facilitate a deal.

Think about that. That’s how strongly some within the league are fighting the Las Vegas option. Many believe the NFL could attempt to delay a vote on relocation to as late as early summer.

Still, even some who are against the idea of Las Vegas getting the Raiders believe a vote could occur some time in January.

“Sure, that’s reasonable,” New York Giants owner John Mara said. “(Davis) made a presentation, it was a good presentation, and now we have a few months to gather all the information we need by the end of the year.”

It means that while Davis forges ahead with additional studies and plans to apply for relocation, the convincing part about Las Vegas being a viable financial option isn’t finished in the eyes of some who matter.

“You study everything that we think is important for the long-term support of an NFL franchise,” Goodell said. “Some of it is market research. Some of it is pure analysis. It’s just about getting in and asking the questions. It’s pretty thorough and expansive in the sense that we consider every aspect before ownership makes their vote.”

Two days of meetings, an important six-minute presentation, one central conclusion to the Las Vegas Raiders becoming reality: It’s about the market, man.

The Review-Journal is owned by the family of Las Vegas Sands Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson, who are partners in the stadium project.

Ed Graney can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4618. He can be a heard on “Seat and Ed” on Fox Sports 1340 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on Twitter.