A new report on sports tourism validates what Las Vegas experts already know. There’s plenty of money to be made as a host to participatory and spectator sports.
The Sports Events and Tourism Association recently released its 2026 State of the Industry Report. It says sports tourism has evolved into a $274.5 billion total economic impact industry. This industry generates $111.2 billion in direct spending. It also supports 1.6 million jobs, and produces $20.5 billion in state and local tax revenue.
The city has taken massive leaps forward as the home of Major League sports teams. The Vegas Golden Knights, the city’s NHL team, is currently hosting fans from Utah in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Las Vegas Aces Women’s National Basketball Association pro team has won the league title three times in the last four years. Furthermore, it is gearing up for the 2026 season.
The Raiders arrived from Oakland in Las Vegas in 2020, making Allegiant Stadium its home. However, their biggest complaint is that the stands are often filled with fans supporting the visiting team. Showing how sports tourism benefits Las Vegas.
Las Vegas has already hosted one Super Bowl and will host another in 2029. It will be home to the National College Football Championship in 2027. In addition, the city also hosted the 2026 “Frozen Four” college hockey tournament. It will host the NCAA “March Madness” Final Four in 2028.
The NBA has played in Las Vegas with their Summer League play showcasing players from every NBA team. Additionally, the league has sanctioned exploring the fielding of an NBA expansion team. Multiple organizations are working toward building NBA-ready arenas.
The A’s of the MLB will officially move to Las Vegas in time for the start of the 2028 baseball season. A new indoor stadium is under construction on the South Strip at the former Tropicana site.
Sports ETA Position
“Sports tourism has firmly established itself as one of the most powerful economic engines in the United States,” said John David, president and CEO of Sports ETA. “With $274.5 billion in total economic impact, millions of jobs supported, and hundreds of millions of travelers moving through communities each year, the scale and influence of this industry is undeniable. For the first time, this report captures that full impact in a unified way, bringing together both participatory and spectator sports to tell the complete story of how sports tourism drives visitation, fuels local economies and creates lasting value for destinations.”
Although Las Vegas could be the poster child for sports tourism, the Sports ETA report does not list Nevada among the leading U.S. states. It identifies Texas, Florida, California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Georgia, Illinois, and North Carolina as leaders. This reflects strong infrastructure, population, and the ability to host both participatory and spectator events.
Spectator sports tourism, driven by fans traveling to attend events, generated $51.1 billion in direct spending and $125.4 billion in total economic impact. It involved 111.4 million travelers, supported more than 730,000 jobs, and produced $9.2 billion in state and local taxes.
The Vegas Golden Knights were the first major league team for Las Vegas, starting play in 2017. More recently, new to professional sports in 2023 was the Las Vegas Grand Prix. It uses a large section of the Strip as part of the racecourse, featuring Formula One racers driving 50 laps on the 3.8-mile track around and past some of the world’s most famous casinos.
Eric Butler is a Contributor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on Instagram and X via @ReportandOpine
