While there are still significant hurdles to clear, it seems obvious that the Oakland Raiders aren’t just playing Las Vegas as a bargaining chip.
All indications are that the Raiders want to move to Las Vegas. The latest is that the Raiders have applied for the “Las Vegas Raiders” trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, according to Forbes. Forbes said the multiple trademark classes the Raiders applied for cover education and entertainment services, clothing, mobile applications, football helmets, trading cards, jewelry and play figures.
This doesn’t mean the Raiders are definitely moving. The NFL would need to approve and there’s the fairly important obstacle of getting a nearly $2 billion stadium built. The Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee planned to meet on Thursday to discuss the possibility of a new stadium for the Raiders.
The SNTIC proposal also pitches the benefits to UNLV and the possibility of getting a Super Bowl in Las Vegas. The public funding would come through an increased hotel tax.
There has been a lot of support for the Raiders moving to Las Vegas, including influentialDallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. U.S. Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada voiced his support this week.
The Review-Journal said that the committee’s recommendation on the stadium is due to Gov. Brian Sandoval by the end of September. Sandoval has publicly questioned who will pay for the upgrades to freeways and streets leading to the new stadium, and KTNV in Las Vegas wrote that Sandoval “indicated privately he does not support the $750 million in public financing sought by the developers.”
