Oakland Raiders partner with Indian casino on Las Vegas sponsorship
Las Vegas has no shortage of casinos but the latest sponsor of the new Oakland Raiders stadium is, in fact, a casino from California.
San Manuel Casino is the latest sponsor of Allegiant Stadium, the new home of the Raiders come 2020. The casino is owned by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, a federally recognized American Indian tribe. The tribe is based out of Highland, California, about 430 miles south of Oakland and a little over 60 miles east of Los Angeles.
On the surface, it seems puzzling that a team about to relocate to the gambling capital of the world would find a willing sponsor that is nowhere near their current location. But given the Raiders strong ties to the LA area --- the team played at the Los Angeles Coliseum from 1982-1994 --- the casino may end up tapping into the older fan base and current fans.
Theoretically, the casino could be an ideal spot for LA fans to visit and stay on the way to games in Vegas.
FILE - In this April 28, 2016, file photo, Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis, center, meets with Raiders fans after speaking at a meeting of the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
“Partnerships are about two major components- brand building and ROI,” said Garrett Shea, founder of Sports Sponsorships and Events Consulting, LLC.
"I’d say San Manuel successfully drove both," Shea said. "They get the splash of becoming the official casino of the Raiders and their new stadium and they connect with the Southern California fan base for the Raiders."
"The short term win for San Manuel Casino is that millions of NFL fans and sports betters now know their name, the challenge like in any deal is how it will play out long term from an ROI standpoint," he continued. "The answer as to whether it’s a good deal sits in their ability to execute through time. I’d say it was a great first drive."
Allegiant Stadium is the latest stadium constructed in what has been a flurry of projects and renovations around the NFL over the past decade. The 65,000 seat stadium will be home to the Raiders as well as UNLV football, international soccer (and possibly MLS) as well as the PAC-12 Championship Game.
“Brilliant addition to the San Manuel Casino portfolio by partnering with the Raiders as they are able to capture two fan bases,” said Beth Daly, former Senior Manager-Marketing Partnerships at All-American Games and currently the Production Manager/Events Coordinator at Battle Sports.
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"Much publicity will follow this new stadium as the team makes its move to Vegas. Smart marketing," Daly said.
FOX Business reached out to the tribe and the Raiders for comment.