Las Vegas isn’t just a cushy vacation destination with casinos, wedding chapels and residency performances — over the past few years it has become a full-fledged sports city.
As evidenced by Saturday’s 2023 Formula One World Championship on the newly constructed Las Vegas Strip Circuit, sports organizations and fans are flocking to Sin City.
This weekend’s Grand Prix, which will feature the sport’s top athletes in reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen and seven-time world champ Lewis Hamilton, continues to raise Las Vegas’ position as one of the country’s premier sports cities.
Read more: Will F1’s $500 million Las Vegas GP live up to the hype?
Here’s how the city rose to its current status — and a peek at what’s next.
No party like a Vegas party, Golden Knights parade takes Vegas by storm
The Golden Knights celebrate their Stanley Cup victory with an epic parade on the Las Vegas strip.
Las Vegas welcomed its first professional sports team when the NHL expanded to 31 teams with the creation of the Golden Knights. Before their first year, owner Bill Foley set lofty expectations for the team to reach the playoffs within three years and win the Stanley Cup within six.
The Knights saw immediate success in their…