EDITORIAL: NFL, Mark Davis seem to be demanding more and more from all involved in Las Vegas stadium project.

Over the past year, Southern Nevada policymakers have rolled out the red carpet for Mark Davis, owner of the NFL’s Oakland Raiders in an effort to lure the team to Las Vegas.

Front and center in the effort is the promise of a $1.9 billion, 65,000-seat stadium to be built near the Strip. In October, state lawmakers hastily assembled in Carson City for a special session to approve $750 million in higher room taxes to be directed toward its construction.

Yet despite such generosity, the NFL and Mr. Davis — who filed formal papers last month regarding his franchise’s potential relocation — seem intent on demanding more and more and more from all involved.

On Monday, Sheldon Adelson, whose family owns the Review-Journal, rescinded his offer to invest in the stadium project with $650 million of his own money. Mr. Adelson said his family will no longer be involved in any aspect of the proposal and noted that “while this is not the result my family was hoping for, I am very appreciative of the countless people who have … made this a top priority for Southern Nevada.”

Whether the Raiders can now secure the necessary financial commitments to fill the gap left by Mr. Adelson’s withdrawal becomes the $650 million question. In the meantime, though, the NFL and Mr. Davis aren’t doing themselves any favors by attempting to dominate the negotiating process simply because they can.

The initial proposed lease, revealed last Friday, calls for the Raiders to pay only $1 a year in rent, while potentially restricting UNLV’s ability to decorate the turf or schedule home games at the venue. It could also give the Raiders control over use of the stadium for concerts and other special events and allow them to profit from events unrelated to the team.

“I’m shocked,” said Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani of the $1 rent. “How arrogant is that?”

State Sen. Kelvin Atkinson, a Las Vegas Democrat, expressed concern over provisions related to UNLV. “Some of the lawmakers agreed to this deal with the understanding that UNLV would play their home games there,” he said, adding “UNLV being able to have their name, their logo, their colors — I think that means a lot to a lot of the lawmakers.”

Steve Hill, the governor’s economic development czar who also chairs the stadium authority board that would own the facility, said the lease agreement is only a starting point. Let’s hope so. Members of the panel will have failed if any final deal doesn’t represent what’s best for Las Vegas as well as its main tenant.

To that end, Mr. Davis and the NFL would go a long way toward cultivating community goodwill and demonstrating their commitment to Southern Nevada if they dialed back the arrogance and addressed these concerns.