Bally’s plans at Las Vegas A’s stadium site remain a mystery as towers prepped for demolition

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Stadium construction is on track to begin in the second half of 2025 as Bally’s prepares to demolish the Tropicana Las Vegas towers in October, but what’s in store for the land adjacent to the A’s new home remains a mystery.

Bally’s officials have everyone guessing what they are planning at the site. During a question-and-answer session with investors on Wednesday, officials said they are evaluating development options for the site.

“Tropicana Las Vegas officially closed on April 2nd, and we are currently preparing the building for demolition later this year,” according to a statement from George Papanier, Bally’s president. “This will allow the Las Vegas A’s to begin their stadium development and keep pace with their plans to play at their new Las Vegas stadium beginning with the 2028 Major League Baseball season. While working with the team, we continue to evaluate our development options for the remainder of the Tropicana site.”

You can bet that it won’t be a parking lot.

Notions about what’s possible for the 35-acre site (the stadium’s footprint takes 9 acres of that total) are anyone’s guess. And Bally’s seems content to keep everyone guessing. In the meantime, the value of the property will keep going up, according to Bally’s Charlie Diao, senior vice president of finance and corporate treasurer.

“The A’s are building their stadium for the 2028 season,” Diao said. “We have absolutely no urgency whatsoever to get to certainty because our option value increases over time … the more that they invest and the closer to the 2028 season.

“While we understand that you would like to have some certainty, that’s not how we maximize the value of that option,” he said.

CEO Robeson Reeves said demolition permits have been secured.

Bally’s is banking on its investment in a $1.3 billion Chicago resort to emerge as the centerpiece of U.S. operations. A temporary casino on the site is doing well and Bally’s will begin work on the permanent River North campus in July. It’s expected to open in September of 2026.

That’s about 18 months before the A’s will play their first game at a $1.5 billion stadium at Tropicana and the Las Vegas Strip. Renderings released in early March showed a design reminiscent of the Sydney Opera House. Interviewed by The Athletic about the similarities, architect Bjarke Ingels said, “I can see the point, I’ll definitely take it as a compliment. I think it’s one of the most beautiful buildings on Earth.”

The spectacular design invites a project including a hotel-casino and distinctive retail space that could further elevate that corner on the Strip. But Bally’s has remained silent on the plan and any timeline for development.

With the Chicago casino opening in 2026, it could set the stage for plans for something special to debut in 2028 as a new focus for the company. A Chicago media report suggested that revenues at the temporary casino are behind projections and Bally’s might need more money to finish the permanent resort.

Bally’s reported a 3.3% increase in companywide revenue ($618 million) in the first quarter of 2024. Reeves called it a solid start.

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