Travis Kelce infuriates everyone by undressing to mock Raiders supporters.

In an attempt to boost tourism to the city, Las Vegas attempted to purchase a commercial spot during the 2003 Super Bowl several decades ago. However, the NFL intervened, claiming a contract that gave it the right to reject any sports betting-related advertisement, even though the commercial made no explicit mention of gambling.

How times have evolved. Three ads for sportsbooks will air during Sunday’s Super Bowl LVIII broadcast. The game will take place at Allegiant Stadium, which is conveniently close to the casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.

Just one more triumph in the city’s extraordinary transformation from the epicenter of sports betting to a true sports metropolis. With the addition of the NHL’s Golden Knights, NFL’s Raiders, and WNBA’s Aces, as well as a Formula 1 race, the 2022 NFL draft, and the 2022 and 2023 Pro Bowls, Las Vegas has expanded on its longstanding connection with professional boxing—it bills itself as the Fight Capital of the World—and as the home of the UFC over the last six and a half years. The NBA, which hosted its 2007 All-Star Game and the 2023 In-Season Tournament final in Sin City and has hosted summer league games there since 2004, has also hailed Las Vegas as a possible expansion-team market. In the meantime, the MLB’s A’s are scheduled to relocate from Oakland.

In December, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told a crowd in Las Vegas, “You’ve really become Sports Town USA.” “That was a very clear vision. We desired to take part in it.