The iconic Tropicana Las Vegas hotel-casino will close its doors on April 2, capping a nearly seven-decade legacy. This is a momentous development. Tropicana General Manager Arik Knowles confirmed the closure and notified personnel of the upcoming destruction in a message to staff. The $1.5 billion development of a state-of-the-art baseball stadium is made possible by the shutdown.

Knowles described in the message the progressive cancellation of hotel reservations and the shifting of subsequent arrangements. The Oakland Athletics’ new 33,000-seat stadium will be placed on 9 acres of the 35-acre property, as part of Bally’s Corp.’s master plan, which calls for the closure. The stadium is scheduled to open in 2028.

“We understand and appreciate the number of questions many of you have at the time. Please be assured that property leadership is working closely with Bally’s leadership to assist all team members through this transition period,” assured Knowles.

Union Workers and Severance Agreements

The Tropicana, with approximately 700 employees, has been a part of the Las Vegas landscape since the Rat Pack era. The Culinary Workers Union Local 226 represents about 300 of these employees. Culinary Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge mentioned that the severance agreement for union workers includes $2,000 for each year of employment at the resort. The Tropicana was among the first resorts to secure a new five-year labor agreement with the Culinary Union in November.

“The company notified the workers that their plan was to close, but there were no dates. We worked hard through negotiations in December to try to get the right deal for those workers on the table knowing that there’s a closure coming,” explained Pappageorge.

Bally’s President George Papanier characterized the Tropicana’s closure as “an exciting next chapter” for the company, currently operating 16 casinos in 10 states. The company is actively engaged in developing a $1.7 billion casino in Chicago, slated to open in 2026. Bally’s is yet to disclose its plans for the replacement of the Tropicana.

The closure of Tropicana comes after Nevada lawmakers approved a public funding package of up to $380 million in June to support the construction of the Oakland Athletics’ new stadium. The legislation specified the Tropicana as the designated site for the ballpark, necessitating its closure and demolition to make way for construction by April 2025.