Phil Ruffin reportedly to meet with MLB's Oakland Athletics for a potential Vegas ballpark site next to Circus Circus

Phil Ruffin, a Las Vegas casino mogul who owns Treasure Island and Circus Circus, is reportedly exploring a potential site for a new ballpark for the California-based Oakland Athletics, a professional baseball team in the MLB.

Circus Circus is adjacent to the Las Vegas Festival Grounds, a 37-acre site located on the southwest corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Sahara Avenue, which would be the subject of a meeting between Ruffin and the MLB franchise on Tuesday, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The A’s have been looking for a site for a new ballpark in both Oakland and Las Vegas, and officials have been to Las Vegas several times to scout locations, the local news site reports. The team's President Dave Kaval voiced interest in the festival grounds early in the search process in Las Vegas, but the focus shifted away from that location as the team’s market research progressed. Kaval has previously said that he has had meetings with various casino representatives, including Ruffin.

 Las Vegas Festival Grounds, next to Circus Circus

The Nevada Gaming Commission approved licensing for Ruffin in December 2019 to acquire Circus Circus from MGM. He then said the 3,700-room resort casino would be updated to feature a stadium-style gaming area, and its RV park would be transformed into a sand-beach pool with a wave machine. The 5-acre Adventuredome and popular steak house stayed.

One of the alternatives to the festival grounds site is the land where the Tropicana Las Vegas Hotel & Casino currently sits, which would also be still on the table, according to the LVRJ. 

Gaming and Leisure Properties, which owns the land of Tropicana, said in August last year that it was working with Bally's, the new operator after its acquisition from Penn National, regarding "potential for more assets" on 35 acres of the property. Bally’s has affiliations with the MLB via Sinclair broadcasting network.

Back in January, the chairman of the casino operator, Soohyung Kim said the company was open to exploring a series of options, including the demolition of the venue. Bally’s Corporation first reached a $308 million deal to buy the property in April 2021, a transaction expected to close sometime this year. Whatever happens with the building, Bally’s Chairman said the property will most likely be reimagined and renamed “Bally’s.”