Would hockey be a problem in Las Vegas??

Question

I have read a few threads that hockey could be a problem in LV because of gambling. That is a huge myth. Give me any detailed reason of what you think the problem would be , and I can you a better reason why it wouldn't be. Go ahead..try.

I said gambling problems but I'll induldge. It may be a hockey market BECAUSE, tourists all year round would check it out. Millions of northerners go to Vegas all year round.

Straying again BUT-it would be a show. Lots of these travellers don't have the NHL you know. Anyway, I am not even necessarily saying it would work for selling tickets. Many said it couldn't because of gambling. Why??

Definitely no anti gambling thing since they supported the Pens trying to get slots.
Lots of cities have gambling and ALL have strippers.
What does locality to other NHL cities have to do with anything?? Lots of teams are close together-BTW-most of the cities you mention are not really "close". Phoenix-Anaheim and SJ are not hockey markets either. Plus people don't go there on vacation.
Obviously if you think people would have "blown their money" already, you have never been. Vagas is all about money.

Once again straying BUT a major sport would definitely work in Vegas. Build it and tourists will come. There will be some sort of team there eventually and, IMO, when one comes, more will follow.
What would be cooler than attending the game you have $$ on?

More people travel to Vegas in a week than Halifax has population. Halifax is a city of 150,000.

Las Vegas is the fastest growing city. Top three tourism sites are Orlando, NY and Las Vegas. Media doesn't like hockey??? One of the top things people do in LV is visit the Grand Canyon. By car, bus or like I did, helicopter-very cool.

Answer 1

It's not a problem for the Las Vegas Wrangers.

That being said, I'd still rather see NHL in Winnipeg or Halifax before Las Vegas.

Answer 2

The Wranglers (ECHL) are a successful team, but the NHL is a whole different story. Las Vegas has never been a major league sports city and it never will be. The mayor keeps on talking about MLB, NBA or NHL, but I think its more of his fantasy than reality. Can't see them filling up even half of a 20,000 seat arena regularly. People come here for one reason, gambling. Some die hard fans would go to a hockey game, but I just don't see much enthusiasm to the point that every day tourists would prioritize it where they say, "Yes, this is something I have to see while I'm here". The asker states that San Jose and Anaheim are not hockey markets, I would strongly disagree, those teams are in massive population centers of California. Locals can't support a big league team either, there are only 1.5 million of us. Wishes and reality are two different things. So let me repeat myself, Las Vegas has never been a major league sports city and it never will be.

Answer 3

Let's see 1.6 million population of which 1/3 works swing shifts leaving us aprox 1.1 million.....still a nice size to work with. Largest number of tourists coming to Vegas each week are from the Greater LA region, which already has 2 hockey teams, but there should be enough from other areas to counter that. Major competition from the top 3 reasons for coming to Vegas....1.Shopping, 2. Shows, 3. Gambling.

Biggest problem I see is the venue. No current arena large enough for an NHL team, so one would have to be built. The heat won't be too much of an issue (very little humidity), but would finding other uses for the arena be a porblem without another major tenant? The rebels already have a nice home for their basketball, there is no NBA team to split the building with, and the city has large convention halls already. Transportation might be an issue with the lack of a good mass transit system, so the building would probably need to be built near the strip and not in the outlying (cheaper-land) areas. Gambling....not an issue (Canadian provinces all have hockey gambling run by the government).

My biggest worry? With Celine Dion done her contract, they'll have her signing the nation anthems pre-game!!

Answer 4

Hockey wouldn't be a problem in Vegas, but Vegas might be a problem in hockey. It would indicate that the NHL is more concerned with trying to force its way into a resistant market to bottom-feed off the crumbs of a larger metro-base. At the same time it would overlook many traditional hockey-culture markets clammouring for an exapansion team because they "don't have the population to meet the model for growth portential". When you've got the city saturated with hockey fans what more can you ask for? I'll tell you what these diehard hockey fans can ask for; Some local games to attend.
Its not money that makes hockey great. It's passionate fans and players, etc.. That, in turn (and over time) has a much greater payoff socially, competitively, and yes (Gary Bettman) even financially.

Answer 5

Hockey in Vegas would be bad for hockey because the media doesnt like hockey and they would always blame Vegas for the fact that the Rangers and Kings cant win a cup. People do travel to Anaheim, because that is nice part of LA and people visit Phoenix because alot of vacationers want to see the Grand Canyon. I think they should put a team in Oklahoma City because they have a minor league team that plays at the Ford Center that sells out almost every game.

Answer 6

Look, it's not just hockey. All pro sports are scared of gambling. Americans are weird anyway compared to the rest of the world with legalized gambling on sports from Toto Calcio in Italy to Japan's own Toto Calcio on soccer. I think NHL should get in there before the NBA does. The foray with the NBA All-Star game in Vegas is definitely a toe in the water for an NBA team to move there. You know the Maloofs would love to move the Kings there.

Answer 7

Okay, so millions of northerners are going there. The problem with that theory is that those northerners aren't there for the hockey. They're there to throw their money away at the slots and see the shows. No one would pay attention to that team.

Besides, the people that live there probably only see ice when it comes with a drink.

Added:
Because people will throw their money away before they can get a ticket! And I wonder if there is some anti-gambling thing that hockey has (kind of like baseball).

Answer 8

I do know Las Vegas has an East Coast Hockey League team called the Las Vegas Wranglers. The team plays its home games at the Orleans Arena, which is also home to the Arena Football League's Las Vegas Gladiators.

Would hockey be a problem in Vegas? Not if everything is done properly to promote the sport.

Answer 9

People go to Vegas for gambling and to see strippers. Los Angeles, San Jose,Anaheim, or Phoenix, AZ are short hops by plane or car to see a hockey game. And Las Vegas isn't an NHL market.

Answer 10

Come on people, get a grip!!! 1.6 MILLION population. POPULATION, not tourists. Who cares whether tourists go to a local sports game or not, LV has the local population to support it. It's larger than many current NHL cities, and the local population has migrated from all over the country, especially the northeast and northern midwest ("hockey country"). The gambling question is ridiculous, and the stripper reference is plain assinine. I have met more hockey fans since relocating to Las vegas than I ever did in the 20+ years I lived in Californinia (originally from Buffalo, Go Sabres!!!)