Las Vegas will be losing an historic property when the Tropicana closes in April to make way for a new Oakland A’s stadium, which announced a relocation to the city last year.
Bally’s, which owns the property, announced the closing of the casino on Monday. The property will be officially shuttered on April 4 as preparation begins for the stadium.
“While this is a great opportunity for the company, it comes with a bittersweet feeling as this means that operations at the Tropicana Las Vegas will shut down for redevelopment,” Tropicana Vice President and general manager Arik Knowles said in a memo to staff.
Closure Brings End of an Era
The A’s announced a deal with Bally’s in May to build a $1.5 billion, 35,000-seat stadium on nine acres of the 34-acre site as part of a 50-year lease with the gaming company. Major League Baseball officially approved the move in November after the team spent years trying to work out a stadium deal in Oakland.
The A’s are receiving $380 million in public funds for the project, which is expected to be completed by 2027 or 2028. Bally’s will also build a new casino and hotel on the site as well.
Monday’s announcement on the closing brings an end to an historic property that first opened in 1957. The original casino cost $15 million, the highest price tag for a casino at the time. The property saw several expansion efforts through the years including the addition of two hotel towers in 1979 and 1986.
The Trop became known for the “Folies Bergere” showgirl review and also hosted other major entertainment acts such as Louis Armstrong, Jayne Mansfield, Gladys Knight, Wayne Newton, and others. The casino also saw the debut of magicians Siegfried and Roy in 1967. The property has seen several ownership changes through the decades and avoided the wrecking ball on a few occasions.
Knowles said the company is working to help employees and provide resources and severance packages now that a closing date is known. Bally’s is also offering to assist those who may be interested in jobs at other Bally’s properties.
“On behalf of our entire leadership team, we deeply appreciate all the effort and incredible work our team has put forth during out time here – dating all the way back to the property’s debut in 1957,” Knowles said. “We know the past few months have not been easy, but we cannot begin to express how thankful we are to have such a stellar team to work with day in and day out.”
About 500 workers will be affected, with most of those members of the Culinary Union. Employees who stay on until the property’s final day of operation will receive $2,000 per service year.
Union secretary-treasurer Ted Pappageorge spoke with workers on Monday about their options. Some werent expecting the property to shut down so soon, he said.
“We knew it was happening, but the reality is construction schedules change all the time, deals change all the time, whether it comes to buying or selling on these projects, the truth is we have to be prepared,” Pappageorge told KVVU.
