Las Vegas welcomes Raiders with open arms, big hopes

Oakland Raiders wide receiver Michael Crabtree (15) and quarterback Derek Carr (4)celebrate a touchdown pass in the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2015, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) (Copyright by WSLS - All rights reserved)

LAS VEGAS (AP) - A city famous for its over-the-top persona is eagerly welcoming an NFL franchise that boasts an equally outsized reputation and the promise of big league legitimacy for the desert gambling oasis.

The Oakland Raiders, officials in Nevada and local fans are ecstatic about the team's move to Las Vegas. But for the proposed $1.9 billion stadium to succeed, the team and officials are banking on almost 2 million people showing up at the stadium every year for football games and other events.

Recommended Videos



The Raiders wasted no time, and on Tuesday, they began allowing fans to place refundable deposits for a personal seat license.

Vegas resident Sean Manchanda says the city has needed a professional sports team for "a very, very long time" and fans like him will certainly attend games.

(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)