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Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, marks the story of modern Las Vegas with two milestones: the opening of The Mirage casino and hotel (1989) and the opening of Allegiant Stadium (2020). While it may still be best known for its gambling, showgirls and neon lights, Las Vegas is now in its sports era.

“I moved to Las Vegas 38 years ago. I moved from a little city in the Midwest called Dayton, Ohio, and Dayton and Las Vegas at the time were about the same size, about 575,000 people… [Now] we’re four and a half times the size we were then,” Hill told the assembled audience of over 120 people at Newsweek’s New Destinations conference in London last week.

Those population numbers do not include the massive influx of visitors that arrive in the city annually – nearly 42 million.

Conventions, gambling and world-class dining and shows are a traditional part of the Las Vegas experience. Before Allegiant Stadium was built, there were no true, large-scale sports venues in the city.

“Las Vegas did not have a venue that allowed us to host the biggest events in the world. When the Raiders came along and were willing to put up a portion of the money to build Allegiant Stadium, that was really a transformative event,” Hill said.

Before their relocation to Las Vegas, the Raiders NFL professional football team called California home for nearly 60 years.

Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs and Taylor Swift embrace after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in overtime during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas. Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs and Taylor Swift embrace after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in overtime during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

“Allegiant Stadium, last year, was the number two highest revenue generating stadium in the world,” Hill told the audience. The venue hosted Super Bowl LVIII, CONMEBOL Copa America, the Las Vegas Bowl and several high-profile concerts, in addition to Raiders home games.

Allegiant Stadium’s opening has proven to be a major inflection point, changing the perception of Las Vegas. “We wouldn’t have Formula One if we hadn’t built Allegiant Stadium. The way the world views Las Vegas grew up when Allegiant Stadium came,” Hill told Newsweek’s guests.

Formula One’s Las Vegas Grand Prix will race through the city for the third time this November. Other sporting events scheduled to occur in the second half of 2025 include: NBA Summer League, Las Vegas Aces games, NBA Preseason games, NFL Preseason and regular season games, TKO Boxing matches, Professional Bull Riders Championship Series, Las Vegas HBCU Classic football game and the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl.

Las Vegas is home to minor league sports teams: Las Vegas Aviators (Minor League Baseball), Las Vegas Lights FC (USL Championship) and Henderson Silver Knights (American Hockey League).

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) plays NCAA Division I sports, and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway hosts races throughout the year.

Four percent of all visitors attend a sporting event while in town. One in ten view a sporting event.

The city is already adding sporting events to the calendar for 2026. WrestleMania will return to the city in April. The city’s Vegas Golden Knights NHL professional hockey team will kick off their 2025-2026 season on September 21. Their first home game will be September 23 versus the Los Angeles Kings.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 19: Charlotte Flair (top) and Tiffany Stratton wrestle during their WWE Women’s Championship match during WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium on April 19, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 19: Charlotte Flair (top) and Tiffany Stratton wrestle during their WWE Women’s Championship match during WrestleMania 41 at Allegiant Stadium on April 19, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Hill is looking further afield as the city looks to build upon its established sports credentials. “Major League Baseball will be in Vegas. We are just starting to build that stadium on an iconic corner in Las Vegas, right on Las Vegas Boulevard. We’ll be welcoming the Las Vegas A’s to Las Vegas in 2028 and we continue to expand the Loop system and make it much easier for our visitors to experience everything that Las Vegas has to offer. I could go on about it, just a number of things, because you’re right. Las Vegas is always reinventing itself. But, come to see. There’s an awful lot of things to [see] since the last time you’ve been here,” he concluded.