With the nearly 20,000-seat Las Vegas Arena slated to open by mid 2016 and other additions that don’t come with parking, the days of free parking on the Las Vegas Strip might be numbered.
Officials for co-owner MGM Resorts International anticipate much of the attendance at events held at the new arena will come from visitors already staying at nearby hotels and who can either walk or take a cab to the venue. So there is no additional parking provided for a venue that can seat nearly 17,000 people for some events.
If Las Vegas wins an NHL franchise, for which 14,000 season ticket orders already have been placed, those 14,000 season ticket holders won’t be visiting for a convention or weekend getaway. They are locals who will have to drive and park to get to the arena.
The Monte Carlo and New York New York casinos have nearby parking structures, but those will fill up fast on a busy weekend and the arena is hosting a big event.
While the properties along the Las Vegas Strip traditionally offer free self-parking and valet parking, additional pressure for parking spaces could reach a critical point once the arena is open. Parking fees generate nice profits for professional sports venues around the nation, and the pressure for parking at the Las Vegas Arena and other venues and properties along the Las Vegas Strip might bring about an end to free parking.
