Backers of a proposed NFL stadium said they've whittled their list to two sites just west of the Las Vegas Strip and will refuse to accept any less than $750 million in public funding toward the project, which they hope will soon be home to the Oakland Raiders.
They said the price tag continues to rise and is now $1.9 billion, saying they'd walk away from the project if state lawmakers don't meet their minimum financial demand.
"Not to be difficult, but we're not negotiable," said Sands president Rob Goldstein, who spoke on behalf of billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson and his family. "If we can't get 750, we respectfully thank you but we're going to move on."
"There's been a lot of conversation on why are we giving money to billionaires," said Steve Hill, chairman of the oversight committee and head of the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development. "The public is not making a contribution to a privately owned stadium."