Tropicana Las Vegas to close on April 2 for $1.5B construction of Oakland A's future baseball stadium

The Tropicana Las Vegas hotel-casino, in operation for nearly seven decades, is slated to close on April 2, according to a memorandum sent to employees by management on Monday. As per the memo, the Strip location is set to undergo demolition ahead of the construction of a $1.5 billion baseball stadium.

Arik Knowles, General Manager of the Tropicana, informed employees that the 67-year-old resort, dating back to the Rat Pack era, will gradually conclude hotel bookings and relocate future reservations, The Nevada Independent reported.

Knowles, in his note, mentioned that Bally’s Corp., operator of the Tropicana, is in the process of finalizing its master plan for the new construction. This plan involves allocating 9 acres of the 35-acre site to the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball for the construction of a 33,000-seat stadium, anticipated to open in 2028.

“We understand and appreciate the number of questions many of you have at the time. Please be assured that property leadership is working closely with Bally’s leadership to assist all team members through this transition period,” Knowles wrote, as per the report.

Bally’s is yet to submit a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act letter to the Nevada Department of Employment, Training, and Rehabilitation, a requirement for large workplaces, which must be done 60 days prior to closure.

The Tropicana, with around 700 employees, approximately 300 of whom are represented by Culinary Workers Union Local 226, was one of the first resorts to negotiate a new five-year labor agreement with the Culinary Union following settlements in November with MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment, and Wynn Resorts.

Culinary Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge stated that Tropicana’s severance agreement will provide union workers with $2,000 for each year of employment at the resort. Many long-term employees at the Tropicana have worked between 20 and 30 years.

“The company notified the workers that their plan was to close, but there were no dates. We worked hard through negotiations in December to try to get the right deal for those workers on the table knowing that there's a closure coming,” Pappageorge was quoted as saying in the report.

In May 2023, the Culinary Union reached an agreement with the Oakland Athletics, often just called the A's, allowing workers at the planned ballpark to potentially join the union, even though the stadium is not expected to open until 2028.

Following the confirmation of the closing date in the Tropicana’s memorandum, Bally’s President George Papanier characterized the shutdown as "an exciting next chapter" for the company, which operates 16 casinos in 10 states. Bally’s is currently focused on developing a $1.7 billion casino in Chicago set to open in 2026.

Bally’s has not disclosed its plans for the replacement of the Tropicana. A’s owner John Fisher indicated the team's desire for Bally’s and Gaming and Leisure Properties, the real estate investment trust that owns the entire 35 acres, to provide conceptual designs for how a new resort would complement the stadium.

“The master plan for the site will accelerate once the Athletics’ ballpark concept design is finalized. The overall development will create energy and vibrancy that previously hasn’t existed on this side of the Strip, adding additional excitement for the sports destination,” the report quoted a statement from Bally.

In June of the previous year, Nevada lawmakers approved SB1, creating a public funding package of up to $380 million to aid in the construction of the stadium for the relocated Athletics. The legislation specifically designated the Tropicana as the site for the future ballpark, with developers stating the need to close and demolish the 1,500-room hotel casino by the end of the year to allow construction to commence by April 2025.