Las Vegas Cup Title Cements Sin City as Hottest Pro Sports Town - Newstbt.com

Las Vegas celebrated yet another victory on Tuesday night, confirming their status as a growing hub for professional sports, as “Sin City” became “Stanley Cup City”.

Captain Mark Stone hoisted the Stanley Cup as confetti and a deafening “Go Knights Go!” chant filled the arena.

Can June bring any more great news to Las Vegas as a professional sports town? After months of excitement and anticipation, the Las Vegas Golden Knights have captured the ultimate victory and brought the coveted Stanley Cup to the city. Captaining the charge to glory, Mark Stone held the Cup aloft in celebration after the Knights secured the win in an impressive 9-3 defeat of the Florida Panthers in Game 5 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The joyous moment cemented Vegas as a major sports hub, with the Strip already renowned for its legalized sports betting. Las Vegas now stands as a model coming-up team, having only two precedents of progressing to the conference finals in the first six seasons, during a time with less than 10 teams in the league. 19,058 lucky fans were inside the T-Mobile Arena to witness the magical moment, along with a few thousand more observing the glory outside in the desert heat.

As sports betting continues to become increasingly popular, Vegas has seen its fair share of success in the realm: Only five teams have won a Cup within their first six years of existence, most of which come from the earlier days of sports.

Vegas Sports Betting on the Rise

On Tuesday, as Las Vegas rejoiced in winning its first hockey championship, the local sportsbooks suffered a financial loss due to the large amounts of bets placed on the Golden Knights. The Knights’ presence in the NHL has caused an increase of 20% in Vegas NHL betting, particularly for matches at T-Mobile, noted Jeff Sherman from the Westgate Sportsbook. Although it was a negative outcome for the sportsbooks on this night, as more bets poured in on Las Vegas entering Game 5 with a 3-1 lead, the overall effect of the Golden Knights on Vegas betting has been positive.

Gametime Odds

It was a festive start to the night when Captain Mark Stone found the back of the net on a 2-on-1 break, giving him and his team the first point of the evening. The score stood at 1-0, 9 minutes into the game. Little did anyone know, that Stone wouldn’t just have one goal, but three; earning himself a hat trick and cementing his name in the record books as his team went on to take home the championship title. Before the faceoff, Sherman shared that in Nevada, Golden Knights money was flooding in for Game 5. The odds rose from -155 to -190, and then to a whopping -210 bonus when it came out that Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk would be sitting this one out with an injury. Shermans other jurisdictions (Colorado, New Jersey, Arizona, Tennessee, Iowa, Ohio, and Maryland) bet on the Panthers that night, which ultimately proved to be the winning bet. Despite the low payouts (a $210 bet only paid $100), they have a once-in-a-lifetime souvenir in the form of Stone lifting the Stanley Cup and taking a lap around the rink.

As the Las Vegas Aces celebrated their WNBA championship victory nine months ago, a wild celebration erupted on the ice — beach balls and pink flamingos being kicked around. As Stone recalled the moment, “It’s one I’ll never forget, and one I didn’t take lightly. I wanted to soak it all in. That’s the one time you want to be selfish in this game, so that’s what I did.” Although the Las Vegas Raiders (formerly the Oakland Raiders) had a lackluster season and ended up 6-11 in their third season, they are firmly entrenched at Allegiant Stadium, close to The Strip. What’s in store for Vegas sports in the future?

What’s Next for Vegas Sports

After the Nevada Senate approved a $380 million public funding bill for a new stadium for the Oakland A’s on the Las Vegas Strip on Tuesday, it appears that the Raiders’ former Oakland housemates may soon be joining them in the desert. While 29 MLB owners need to approve the move first, there is quickly growing momentum. The only thing holding up an NBA franchise coming to Las Vegas is the violence, club-related deaths, and traffic issues during the All-Star Weekend there in 2007. However, the city currently seems ready to welcome a team, with recent reports indicating Las Vegas and Seattle as the two frontrunners for the next two NBA teams. According to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, the expansion talks will be revving up once the new media rights deal is hammer out, which is likely to happen by April. The NBA already has a presence in Las Vegas with the Las Vegas Summer League typically taking place in July.
We have a long list of season ticket holders. It’s a great feeling to have that kind of support.

With all 30 teams now boasting entrants, Sin City is set to be transformed into an NBA hub for the next two weeks as coaches, scouts, and general managers mingle among the league’s top prospects playing games from 12:00PM to 12:00AM in the Thomas Mack Center at UNLV. Commissioner Adam Silver addressed on an ESPN show, saying, “It’s been a long time since we’ve expanded and the US has numerous great markets to offer, and there has even been interest shown from Canada and Mexico City for further growth. Although expansion is not certain now, I can assure that over time, the sport will grow here in the United States and globally.” On Saturday, a vibrant parade down The Strip featuring the Golden Knights’ iconic jerseys will take place – the culmination of the immense support Las Vegas has given the local franchise. Bill Foley, the team owner, expressed his gratitude for the enthusiastic backing they have had, saying, “We want to be a global franchise and since tickets are sold out with a long list of season ticket holders, it is gratifying to know that our fan support is so high.”

They plan to purchase equipment, and when they return to Shanghai, they will be wearing a Golden Knights hat.