Saturday, June 9, 2007 | 7:34 a.m.
Unlike most of the other major sports leagues, Major League Soccer has no issue with having a franchise in the gaming capital of the world.
Not even if a sports book that takes wagers on those matches is just a short walk from the stadium.
"The fact that Las Vegas has gaming is not an obstacle to MLS placing a team in the market," said MLS President Mark Abbott, who is in charge of league expansion.
For four months, the Las Vegas Sports & Entertainment Group (LVSEG) has been talking with league officials about starting an MLS expansion team in the valley.
The 12-year-old, 13-team league plans to expand to 16 clubs for the 2010 season.
That's sooner than the hockey dreams of movie and TV producer Jerry Bruckheimer can solidify. He told the Sports Business Daily on Wednesday that he's had informal talks with the NHL about one day owning an expansion team in Las Vegas.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters last week that the league isn't looking at expansion or relocating teams at this time. The Canadian Press reported that Bruckheimer's plans are at least four to five years away.
That leaves an open net for the MLS. Of course it must work out some not so small details to work out, such as building a stadium in Las Vegas.
But in an exclusive interview with the Sun from MLS headquarters in New York, Abbott became the first executive of a major sports league to dismiss gambling as a preclusion from Las Vegas getting a team.
Jay Kornegay, executive director of the Hilton race and sports book, said an up-and-coming league would benefit from the publicity.
"I think it's important for any league to get as much media attention as possible, as much exposure as possible," he said. "But I'm telling them what they already know. I'm not surprised by the news."
He was surprised to hear that LVSEG hopes to build a hotel and casino adjacent to a $500 million retractable-roof stadium.
"That's huge," Kornegay said.
Abbott, 42, declined to discuss details about LVSEG's partners or its elaborate proposal. "It's premature," he said.
However, he confirmed that linking such an international sport with an internationally known city would be advantageous for MLS.
"You hit the nail on the head," Abbott said. "Obviously, it's an international city. It also has both a very strong youth soccer base and a community of people who come from countries in which soccer is the dominant sport, that is growing.
"And it attracts people from around the world. I think that matches up with the key demographics (necessary for) our sport."
He didn't hesitate when asked whether Las Vegas could be a marquee MLS city.
"The market is a tremendous, vibrant one," Abbott said. "It certainly can be a top-level sports (city) in this country."
MLS brass, including Abbott, first met with LVSEG President Mark Noorzai, and the group's spokesman and Hall of Famer Paul Caligiuri, in February.
"We learned about their interest in the market, and we're working to put together some plans," Abbott said. "We're interested in learning more about some of his ideas of the market and his investment group."
If MLS approves, Las Vegas Football Club - the name Noorzai favors - will begin for a $35 million expansion fee.
Toronto FC, which began this season, started for $10 million. That price increased, Abbott said, when D.C. United was sold for a record $34.5 million in January.
Toronto impressed MLS with more than 14,000 season-ticket sales before it played a game. Noorzai said a Las Vegas season-ticket base of 7,500 to 10,000 would be required to show fan interest.
With three years to accomplish that, Noorzai said , it wouldn't be a problem. Abbott said that figure hasn't been determined.
"It's an evolving standard," Abbott said.
He confirmed that the first major league team to call Las Vegas home will reap enormous benefits, mainly as a link to the community.
"I do believe a team that moves early into that market will have a head start in building that connection," Abbott said. "The sooner you can establish yourself in the community, the more likely you will be a success.
"It's a fairly straight forward proposition."
Abbott said the league does not have a timetable in dealing with LVSEG, adding that the normal construction time for a soccer-specific stadium is 18 months.
"We're not working on any deadline " with LVSEG, Abbott said, "or anyone."
The sale of D.C. United showed that MLS could be turning a major financial corner, with each of its teams eventually being independently owned and the likelihood of each soon playing in a soccer-specific stadium .
Los Angeles and Dallas are now making money, and three plan to be operating in the black by next season.
ESPN has sweetened its broadcasting deal with the league, World Cup viewing figures were way up in the U.S. last summer and English star David Beckham, who should draw large crowds, starts playing for Los Angeles next month.
"It's a very dynamic league that has shown tremendous growth in the past few years and will show tremendous growth in coming years," Abbott said. "I think the present of MLS is very bright, and the future is even brighter."
Especially with a team in Las Vegas?
"This is a wonderful opportunity," Abbott said, "given the right ownership group and stadium situation."
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