MAVS NEWS:

[Reunion Mav]

1 I agree with your broad take about gambling in Texas in general. 

2 But respectfully, I think you whiffed completely on the Adelson/Dumont thinking. I believe they saw the Mavs as a way to get the camel's nose under the edge of the tent re casinos, so to speak, and that the potential real estate development tie with the Mavs would be the angle they need. It's not ONLY about a casino in Dallas, but also about a MASSIVE real estate grab of high end land via eminent domain to create a massive entertainment district that they would own and control. But it's not just one or the other, but BOTH.

The planned Town Lake (or whatever the name will be) has imo been a major part of the picture, a glittering jewel to drive tourism and bring people vacationing with lots of cash to spend, with a casino (or three) to offer the bells and whistles to motivate people to leave all their cash there. Hotels. Restaurants. Think of the Riverwalk but with a different configuration. Without the casinos and without the Mavs, it's been "in the works" for about 50 years. It is NEVER mentioned, but imo is at the core of everything the Adelsons want. One day (although it may be another 50 years, who can say) it will happen, bam it will start moving, and then it will be a massive hot spot. 

With the Mavs and an arena, you get eminent domain - like Jerry World, you pick the footprint and then the city/county confiscates the land from the owner who wouldn't otherwise sell it. It has to be bought, of course, but no one can really hold out. AAC is right on the edge of that footprint already, so you have a reasonable ask to shoot for THAT land closer to the water (and everything around it). FWIW it looks to me like Cuban already saw that potential, has moved his things bit by bit in that direction, and perhaps saw a casino group as the way to make those dominoes fall, so to speak.

Adelsons imo have banked on the synergy of "Mavs arena" and "casinos you don't have yet and would really want" as their way to get it done. But they MAY have bit off more than they can chew. 

If you have been keeping up, there's a current push to move the new arena site to the current city hall which is AWAY FROM the water and thus no way to grab that land. Is that what Adelson expected, wanted, and would want to pursue? It might not even be close. Combine that with the state's refusal to budge on casinos and they may have decided they are spending their efforts in the wrong place. Just a thought.

Two interesting takes. I’m trying to get my head around this so, thanks!