The Raiders being in Las Vegas has raised the franchises value to an all-time high. A new valuation by Forbes places the Raiders worth at $5.1 billion, a nearly 50% jump in value from the same report last year. It’s the ninth highest value in the National Football League, according to the report. However, that hasn’t always been the case. Back in 2015 the Oakland Raiders had the second lowest value in the NFL. By 2019, the team’s last year in Oakland, it reached $2.9 billion. The 2022 valuation moves the franchise up seven spots from last year. “What it shows is not just simply they have a lot of eyeballs watching games in Las Vegas and playing around the NFL. They’re also making more money being in Las Vegas” Director of the UNLV Center for Business and Economic Research Andrew Woods said. The Raiders are up, revenue alone, about 45 percent. Woods said he and others from the Center for Business and Economic Development are beginning to explore the impact of Las Vegas Sports on the economy. He said this new valuation makes the Las Vegas valley an even more attractive place for professional sports. “It shows you can have professional football, professional hockey, Women’s National Basketball Association - all that is successful in our community,” Woods said. If you’re looking at other sports like baseball, basketball and soccer - you’re looking at Vegas and saying this is a winning bet potentially.” Woods believes having a successful NFL franchise brings a sense of community for the growing valley, jobs and more people spending money when they’re here. “Whether you’re rooting for the Raiders, or you’re rooting for the opposite team, you can do it in Las Vegas. You can be a local going to game or fly in for the weekend. You can have a good time and go to a game,” Woods said. While Las Vegas has been a big benefit for the Raiders it has also been a big benefit for Las Vegas. It opened a Sports Market that had been previously closed.
