Will Hosting The Super Bowl Actually Make Las Vegas Money?

Hosting the Super Bowl in any other city is a big deal. Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New Orleans. It takes a weekend that might have been relatively normal (besides the pizza shop being slammed and bars being full) and makes it the epicenter of the football world. However, every year Las Vegas sees a dramatic spike in visitors on Super Bowl Weekend. Without hosting the Super Bowl.

At the end of this season, Las Vegas hosts its very first Super Bowl. Question is... will it be worth it?!

According to data by Applied Analysis, the Super Bowl LIII in 2019 brought in over 310,000 visitors to Las Vegas (the game was in Atlanta) and had a $425 million economic impact. That's pretty incredible considering the game was being played over 1,000 miles away.

What's even more impressive is that money was being made without the trouble of hosting the game. The added security and infrastructure needed to host a Super Bowl can be pretty pricey.

If you just look at last year's Super Bowl in Arizona, you'd think this is a no-brainer. An independent study found that Arizona generated $1.3 billion for the state for hosting the game. Wow! That's up there with what F1 is promising Las Vegas.

But that's not always the case. According to an article from Forbes, the math is a bit cloudier than that. New stadiums are built in order to woo the "big game" to their city. Allegiant Stadium cost over $750 million in public funding by way of a tax on tourists. Guess what? Turns out the league doesn't pay to use the stadium, and they keep the money of all ticket sales to spread among all of the league's teams.

Back in 2008, the then mayor of Glendale, Arizona admitted his estimate was the city lost big bucks, spending $3.4 million for the game, but only seeing back $1.2 million according to an interview with ESPN.

Depending on who or when you ask, you'll be told hosting the Super Bowl will make Las Vegas an extra $500,000,000, $600,000,000 or even $700,000,000. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority expects the bill for hosting the event to tip around $60 million, with sponsorship dollars potentially paying a third of it.

Remember, not hosting the Super Bowl had 310,000 visitors in town. Considering there are "only" 150,000 rooms (among the highest number of hotel rooms for a city worldwide), that's two people a room. There's a potential we aren't drawing many more people to town.

Only time will tell. It's an incredible honor to host the Super Bowl, but between F1 and the Super Bowl's grand predictions, many in the valley are keeping receipts.

A typical Super Bowl Sunday in Las Vegas is already pretty busy. Fans from all around the country descend upon the Strip to bet, watch and drink. This year, things are getting much, much bigger.

On Wednesday, the National Football League and the Las Vegas Super Bowl LVIII Host Committee descended upon Vu Las Vegas to unveil a 'super' week of events that'll keep fans busy!

The Super Bowl host city transforms for the Big Game! From concerts to foodie events, meet and greets and fan experiences, the week leading up to the Super Bowl is a dream for football fans! Celebrities are swarming around, media from around the world is at every corner.

This is where Las Vegas is bound to shine. While other cities have to build experiences, Las Vegas is an experience. So some favorites in town are going to transform into NFL-themed havens.

“Super Bowl LVIII will mark an historic achievement for the city of Las Vegas," said Sam Joffray, the President & CEO of the Las Vegas Super Bowl LVIII Host Committee. “Las Vegas is renowned for its entertainment and hospitality, and we are grateful to our community partners and elected officials for their support and collaboration in planning these monumental events. Together, we look forward to welcoming fans to the city for what will be an unforgettable week."

There is no question this is a moment that the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority has been daydreaming about for years. A decade ago, the city was dead to rights with the league. Today, hosting the biggest sporting event in the country.

So if you're looking for the list of events, behold! We have them straight from the horse's mouth at the NFL! Take a look!

If you can't afford the thousands of dollars it'll cost to get in for the Big Game, you can at least sniff the air the two best teams in the league will breathe. Super Bowl players and coaches will have their media day, you'll get a look at how they've dolled up the stadium and there'll be plenty of merch and photo ops. Tickets start at $30 in December at SuperBowl.com.

And don't sleep on the media day mess! It's a madhouse and some funny moments come from it every year! Take a look at the video!

The perfect experience for the kiddos and the kid in you. It's like a football theme park! Meet NFL legends, get pictures and autographs, play interactive games and attend youth football clinics. You can even get a picture with the crown jewel, the Vince Lombardi trophy! See all the Super Bowl rings and more! Take a look above at last year's experience!

Tickets start at $25 on Wednesday and climb up to $50 on Friday and Saturday. Thankfully kids 12 and under are free. Best part of all, on Thursday there will be a special Sensory Hour for those who need an environment with less noise and flash. Great idea.

You can score your tickets at SuperBowl.com.

Since 1989, the league has brought football and music together for one night. It's a big anniversary for the event when it takes place at Pearl at The Palms. Tickets go on sale December 1st at SuperBowlSoulful.com.

Taking place at the NFL's home base for the big week, Super Bowl Breakfast brings some of the sport's biggest stars. Fans and legends alike will dine, watch the Bart Starr Award be handed out and more. Tickets soon at SuperBowlBreakfast.com.

We are liking this food theme. This 21+ event is hosted by some culinary giants like Andrew Zimmern, Carla Hall and more. A delicious tasting menu, paired with appearances from several NFL stars. Plus it is raising funds for charity! VIP tickets at TasteOfTheNFL.com.