After months of concerned discussions, two independent Las Vegas businesses have filed a lawsuit against the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
Battista’s restaurant and the Stage Door Casino filed a lawsuit this week, claiming their businesses were damaged to the tune of millions of dollars by preparations for 2023’s big ticket race weekend. The timing is apt, as earlier this week, race organizers announced crews would soon begin work for the 2024 race.
However, both small businesses say their concerns about the impact of the prep have been ignored. Specifically, they are concerned with construction of a temporary bridge at the junction of Flamingo and Koval. The two owners say the bridge has already cost them millions of dollars in revenue through lost foot traffic.
They spent months talking to Clark County and race officials, but they say they were not satisfied with the outcome.
“These small business owners brought their substantial damages and the existential threat caused by F1 to their businesses to the attention of Clark County and F1. For months, they sought a fair and just solution to this devastating issue, however, to no avail,” said the lawsuit, filed by Nevada law firm Holley Drigs.
“Repeated assurances of a resolution never materialized. They have no choice but to ask an impartial third party to remedy their financial losses and to prevent their businesses from going under because of F1.”
The Lawsuit
The two businesses are Batista’s Hole in the Wall Italian restaurant and Stage Door, a slots-only casino venue. Both businesses are behind the Flamingo casino resort, on the corner between Flamingo Drive and Koval Lane.
They want a minimum of $50,000 each in compensation from race organizers. The business owners criticized the disruption caused by the temporary road bridge, which wasn’t taken down until months after the November 2023 event. Construction on its return is expected to start later this month on August 9.
The two venues say the bridge disrupted the flow of new customers from passing foot traffic, as well as causing access issues for regular customers and employees.
“Stage Door lost the majority of its regular customer base that had been built-up over the last fifty years due to the F1 construction,” said the lawsuit.
They also allege that Formula One did not negotiate a special use permit for the race infrastructure, which would have legally required consultation with local stakeholders. Instead, Clark County granted race organizers a special event license, which has far less restrictive criteria for its award.
Both business owners say they had no prior input on the race course or how preparations would be enacted before Clark County made an agreement with organizers.
The Race
The 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix was a sporting success, by most accounts. The first Formula One race in Las Vegas for more than 60 years, it was a thrilling race with an iconic backdrop to match.
Even eventual race winner and World Champion driver Max Verstappen bought into the Las Vegas pizazz after crossing the finish line, despite being initially (and quite publicly) skeptical.
It also brought a major revenue boost to the giant casino resorts of the Las Vegas Strip, as high net worth fans from all over the globe flew into Sin City for the race. However, despite all that, the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix will be looked upon as a controversial event.
As well as these two small business owners’ lawsuits, a petition against the 2024 race attracted tens of thousands of signatures. Even some Las Vegas Strip casinos have gotten involved.
Ellis Island Casino is suing Formula One, the Las Vegas Grand Prix, and Clark County over disruption issues.
It says at one point its casino was forced to essentially undergo an unscheduled close for several hours during a track practice run.
Clark County also enacted a comprehensive study into the race’s financial impact. It found that the race did bring tens of millions of extra spending into Las Vegas. But overall, it lost $500,000 on hosting the event.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
