Dallas Suburb Approves Las Vegas Sands Resort Without Casino

The Irving City Council approved a zoning change for Las Vegas Sands’ proposed resort near the former Texas Stadium site Thursday, but without the casino or nightclub elements that drew public backlash.

In back-to-back 6-3 votes, the council passed a version of the proposal stripped of gambling and nightlife uses after Sands’ request to remove those elements just hours before the meeting, the Dallas Morning News reported.

The decision follows public outcry and heated planning meetings, including one in late February, when the proposal first went before the City Council and more than 170 residents signed up to speak, most in opposition.

Sands executive Mark Boekenheide, who oversees the company’s global real estate, told council members the company wasn’t walking away from the project — but that without legalized gambling in Texas, a full $4 billion casino resort wasn’t financially viable.

Sands might still pursue hotel development on the 182-acre site, which the company acquired last year, Boekenheide said.

The resort project previously included plans for a 15,000-seat arena expected to serve the Dallas Mavericks, which is co-owned by Sands’ recently elevated CEO Patrick Dumont, along with hotels, retail, restaurants and entertainment venues.

Critics of the project raised concerns about gambling addiction, public safety and the impact on the city’s family-friendly character. Representatives from the University of Dallas, whose campus borders the proposed site, were among those opposing the plan.

Some council members voiced frustration that Irving continues to lose major development opportunities. The council ultimately stopped short of banning gambling from the zoning ordinance entirely, leaving the door open for it to return if gambling is legalized in Texas.

The revised approval sets the stage for Sands to build a non-gaming resort in Irving, though whether the company moves forward without casino revenue remains an open question.

To add gambling back into the plan in the future, the zoning would need an amendment. More crucially for the original project plan’s viability, a statewide vote on a constitutional amendment is required to legalize casino gaming in Texas.

— Judah Duke