Three Affiliated Tribes Submit $2 Billion Casino & Arena Plan for Las Vegas Massacre Site
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Three Affiliated Tribes have filed a pre-review application with Clark County for the construction of a casino hotel, an arena seating 15K-20K, and a theater located across Las Vegas Boulevard from the Luxor.
The pre-review process offers a sneak peek that enables county staff to confirm that all documents are complete prior to a formal submission — which would distribute renderings across the internet.
The Three Affiliated Tribes, a Native nation at the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota, have not disclosed the intended function of the arena — a crucial inquiry given that another arena is allegedly in the works for the Rio’s parking area.
Tribal Chairman Mark Fox has spearheaded the initiative, collaborating for more than a year with architecture firm Steelman Partners to create a vision for the property. Insiders with knowledge of the project inform Casino.org that he intends to lure the Vegas Golden Knights to move a mile south from their T-Mobile Arena, where they've been for a decade.
In a recent statement, Fox mentioned he has “contacted a dozen or more organizations to establish strong working relationships with our neighbors, including the Golden Knights.” He subsequently made clear that there is no partnership in place with the extremely successful NHL team. The Knights assert their dedication to T-Mobile through a long-term lease and an ownership interest, and owner Bill Foley informed Vegas PBS in December 2024 that the team is aiming to obtain a $300 million investment for T-Mobile enhancements.
Hurting History
Out of the 23 acres of the site, thirteen were included in Las Vegas Village, where the Route 91 Harvest Festival turned into the most lethal massacre in contemporary US history on October 1, 2017. MGM Resorts, the previous owner of the land, donated an additional two acres of the former Las Vegas Village to Clark County for a lasting memorial to the tragedy.
The tribe had previously rented its land for purposes such as holding a Christmas holiday festival and a location for “American Ninja Warrior.”
Although the Clark County Commission seems to fully support the project, it has allegedly faced backlash from tribal members. Numerous individuals — among them those who protested close to the land in 2023 — think that managing a significant Las Vegas entity will divert the tribe from tackling urgent issues on the reservation.