LAS VEGAS (AP) — After a dreadful stretch for tourism, Las Vegas faces a new threat if NFL players and owners can’t agree on a new contract.
And the longer the sides disagree, the worse things might get for the city.
Lee Amaitis, chief executive of Cantor Gaming, a company that operates sports books in four Las Vegas casinos, doesn’t see a work stoppage that wipes out the season. However, if there were no Super Bowl it would be a disaster, he says.
The NFL is king among sports bettors, whose influence in casinos goes far beyond actual wagering on games. The main tourism agency that promotes Las Vegas estimates this year’s Super Bowl alone brought 275,000 visitors to Sin City, generating $85.6 million in revenue beyond gambling.