Changes are ahead for Indy Gaming. The Indy team is exploring alternative ways to present the newsletter. It will always be delivered to your email, but we're considering options for its placement on The Indy's website. 

In addition to bringing you the latest on the gaming industry, the newsletter often focuses on hospitality, tourism and businesses away from the casino, such as sports teams and events, that help drive visitors to Nevada.  I'd like to hear your thoughts, positive and negative. Email me at [email protected]. I'll share your responses with my editors.

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Social media was ablaze last week over reports that the Oakland Sacramento soon-to-be Las Vegas Athletics had leaked out a new name for the Major League Baseball franchise.

Not exactly. 

The team — bolstering its front office staff ahead of its 2028 move to Las Vegas and its under-construction $2 billion stadium on the Strip — had several job postings listed on various sites mentioning "Las Vegas Black Fire" as the job location.

Baseball podcast RallyCap posted a video titled "Did we just find the Athletics' NEW Vegas name?? (Las Vegas BLACK FIRE?!)" It was quickly aggregated, with one post on Instagram attracting more than 2,000 likes and 330 comments.

Only problem? It wasn't real.

The UNLV Black Fire Innovation building is in the 122-acre Harry Reid Research and Technology Park on West Sunset Road. Other tenants include cashless gaming provider Sightline Payment Systems. Black Fire Innovation is the first technology hub at the location.

Last year, A's President Marc Badain opened the team's offices in the building. He previously had offices there during his tenure with arena developer Oak View Group. 

"I'm a creature of habit," he said to me last year about the office space. 

A few days after the rumor spread, the San Francisco Chronicle debunked the story.

What we've learned about the A's move to Las Vegas is that nothing will be simple. 

The process began in 2021 when the team's former president was exploring locations in Southern Nevada and Oakland as "parallel paths" toward building a new stadium. 

The team changed sites in 2023, just as Nevada lawmakers considered legislation that awarded it up to $380 million in public financing for the ballpark on the Strip, which is replacing the imploded Tropicana Las Vegas.

What was clear: Team owner John Fisher said the name Athletics would remain, as it has from Philadelphia to Kansas City to Oakland to Sacramento and to Las Vegas in 2028.

But there have been hiccups.

In January, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected the names "Las Vegas Athletics" and "Vegas Athletics." 

Major League Baseball, which controls the trademark and licensing process for all 30 teams, said the decision wasn't a denial, but "non-final office actions"  — common in the trademark process. Still, it prompted a similar flood of questions, confusion and extremely confident incorrect information on social media.

Attaching Las Vegas to the team's name won't be official until the team moves to Southern Nevada after the 2027 season. The A's are playing home games this season and next in Sacramento.

Four months ago, the A's unveiled a 5,800-square-foot preview center at the UnCommons in southwestern Las Vegas to give prospective ticket buyers and baseball fans a look at what to expect when the 33,000-fan capacity, closed-roof ballpark opens in April 2028. 

Since the opening, the A's have attached a giant A's logo to the building, visible from the Las Vegas Beltway, and messaging about season ticket sales.

Perhaps this whole saga is best summed up in this comment from Reddit user RichardRichOSU: "Anyone that thought this was happening should have their internet privileges taken away."

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Hornbuckle: MGM would welcome the NBA to T-Mobile Arena

MGM Resorts International CEO Bill Hornbuckle chose his words carefully when asked about potential NBA expansion into Las Vegas. He tempered his comments by saying he was under three different non-disclosure agreements.

However, he said T-Mobile Arena (operated jointly by the company and entertainment giant AEG) "is part of that conversation, whether it's short term or long term." 

Hornbuckle added he would prefer the 18,000-seat arena to become the permanent home of a Las Vegas-based NBA franchise, given that the arena is the only venue in Las Vegas that could host a team as early as 2028.

"We're intimately involved in many of those conversations," Hornbuckle said, adding that he expects the league to decide on teams in Las Vegas and Seattle within a year. He said that Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley, whose NHL team would share T-Mobile with an NBA franchise, is also involved in the talks.

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What I'm reading

🏗️ Wilton Rancheria breaks ground on Sky River Casino hotel. 'Reclaiming what is ours' — Camryn Dadey and Emma Hall, Sacramento Bee

Boyd Gaming built and operates the property for the tribe. Here is my coverage of the project from last year.

✋ Kalshi COO says casino-style gambling has no business at prediction markets — Jeff Edelstein, CasinoReports.com

"Gaming should be defined narrowly to refer to the operation of casino-style games of pure chance," said Luana Lopes Lara.

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News, notes and quotes

🛩️ Boyd International Airport, Pahrump?

That's the first thought that came to mind when Calvada Meadows Airport owner Jonathan Wallentine took me and photographer Jeff Scheid for a quick flight around Pahrump last week in a small plane. He bought the airport in 2023 and is hoping to expand its services beyond its 5,200-foot runway. Wallentine said Boyd Gaming had owned the airport, which surprised me, given that the company does not own a casino in Pahrump. Boyd spokesman David Strow cleared up the confusion. "The land parcel was owned by [Boyd Gaming co-founder] Bill Boyd and a friend of his. There was no attachment to the company. They held it as a personal investment and sold it about five years ago."

💰 Caesars mum on Tilman Fertitta buyout interest

Caesars Entertainment, which operates 15 properties in Nevada, cut any questions last week on its quarterly earnings call about the company's much-rumored buyout by billionaire investor Tilman Fertitta. He is currently serving as the U.S. Ambassador to Italy and San Marino. Fertitta owns the Golden Nugget casinos, is Wynn Resorts' largest shareholder and owns a site for potential casino development on the Strip. The deal could cost between $5 billion and $7 billion for Caesars. "As a matter of policy, [the company] does not comment on market rumors or speculation, and we will not be answering any questions during Q&A today on this topic," Caesars Senior Vice President Brian Agnew said at the call's outset.

🏆 A note of personal pride — Congratulations, Valorie

My wife, retired Clark County District Judge Valorie Vega, was awarded the John F. Mendoza Legato Award by the Nevada Latino Bar Association on Friday. The award recognized "a lifetime of dedication to the legal profession and unwavering commitment to advancing and empowering the Latino community." She was told her "legacy of advocacy, mentorship and services" will inspire future generations.