If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve already noticed the growing presence of sports in Vegas. A new NFL team and F1 were just the beginning; Vegas also won the rights to host the Men’s Final Four basketball tournament in 2028, and LeBron and Shaq have teased bringing a pro basketball team to town. But is it really for the love of the game? During last November’s inaugural Grand Prix, the Bellagio Fountain Club was serving up $135 cocktails (!) in leather racing shoes (?) with a side of Cirque du Soleil acts and celebrity chef pop-ups. Which was a pretty good manifestation of Vegas’ sports gameplan: Promote sports as an experience, less tied to a local fan base and more focused on the game as entertainment. ⁠ ⁠ To see this new dynamic at play, just go to a Raiders game. Since the NFL team relocated from Oakland to Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium, most lifelong Raiders fans aren’t able (or wanting) to drive 8+ hours to see them play for a new city; instead, Vegas tourists—including vocal fa...