CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) " Heavy hitters in Nevada's casino industry are going to bat for a project backed by one of their competitors, saying a proposed NFL stadium and a convention center expansion in Las Vegas are game-changing opportunities that Nevada lawmakers shouldn't pass up. Blackhurst, the former mayor of Las Vegas, said the projects will take the tourism mecca to the next level. The testimonials are likely to add credibility and political cover to the stadium proposal, which critics call a handout to a billionaire. The proposed deal would increase the hotel tax on the Las Vegas Strip by 0.88 percentage points for the stadium and 0.5 percentage points for the convention center. NFL owners would have to vote by a three-fourths majority to allow the Raiders to move from Oakland to Las Vegas.

Source: New Zealand Herald October 10, 2016 23:15 UTC