Sin City's iconic Tropicana Las Vegas casino faces demolition to pave way for $1,500,000,000 MLB stadium for Oakland Athletics

The Oakland Athletics' future move to Las Vegas has not been well received by many fans, which is particularly understandable in Oakland. Fans are beyond disillusioned with the team and given the move, it was not surprising to see almost empty stands throughout the 2023 MLB season.

The franchise will stay in Oakland until 2025 and then a period of uncertainty will ensue, as the relocation is set to be complete in 2028. That relocation may have just gotten a little less popular in Vegas, as the iconic Tropicana Casino faces demolition to make way for a $1.5 billion baseball stadium.

Open since 1957, the Tropicana has become something of a landmark in Sin City. Famously, Nevada's lieutenant governor threw away the key after unlocking the front doors, signifying that it would always be open.

The Tropicana is set for closure on April 2, as announced by the owning company, Bally's Corp., on Monday. President George Papanier gave the following statement:

“Bally’s looks forward to the development of a new resort and ballpark that ... will become a new landmark, paying homage to the iconic history and global appeal of Las Vegas and its nearly 50 million visitors a year,” the company said in a news release."

Papanier called the ballpark a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," as he announced the Tropicana's closure.

Oakland Athletics will be hoping Las Vegas relocation a fresh start in every way

The Oakland Athletics were the worst team in the MLB last season, finishing with a 50-112 record. While the team struggled on the field, fans didn't exactly fill the stadium, with the average attendance over the season standing at 10,276.

The A's have been bad for a while now, having gone 60-102 in 2022 and not made the postseason since 2020. Morale among the fanbase is low, which is understandable when expectations are minimal and the team has announced it is moving.

The 2024 MLB season looks to be a hard watch for Athletics fans and realistically, it would be a surprise if performances or attendances were good. 2028 is a long way away and the timespan between Oakland and Vegas is likely to be a tough time for all involved.

The Athletics have yet to announce where they will be playing in that period, with the deadline for that decision originally in December 2023 and then in mid-January.