So, here’s something pretty wild: The Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation (MHA Nation), who are mainly based on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota, are looking to make a huge splash on the Las Vegas Strip. They’ve got some pretty ambitious plans for 23 acres of prime real estate they recently snagged along the south Strip—right across from the Luxor Hotel and Casino.
Image source: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/03/25/99366-mha-nation-eyes-las-vegas-event-arena-and-resort-on-south-strip-land
What Are They Building?
We’re talking about a full-on entertainment and hospitality hub that could completely shake up the area. The idea is to build:
- A massive 15,000 to 20,000-seat event center.
- A potential resort development.
- Future partnerships with big-time sports franchises (though nothing’s set in stone yet).
They’ve been working with Steelman Partners, an architecture firm famous for designing all sorts of high-profile casinos and resorts. Tribal Chairman Mark Fox has been at the helm of all this, putting over a year of effort into making this vision a reality.
Wait, So Who’s Involved?
Fox mentioned they’ve been chatting with “a dozen or more entities” to build solid connections. And yeah, that includes reaching out to the Golden Knights hockey team. But just to be clear, there’s no official partnership there—just some friendly conversation.
Why Las Vegas?
It’s not like this is their first investment in Vegas. The MHA Nation has been buying up land in the city since 2020. Some of their land even includes parcels tied to the site of the 2017 Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting. And they’ve already been putting some of their property to good use, like:
- Leasing space for filming shows like “American Ninja Warrior”.
- Hosting events like the “Christmas on the Strip” holiday festival.
So, it’s not just empty land sitting around. They’re already making money off it, which is probably why they’re excited about doing something bigger.
What’s The Process Like?
Right now, the project’s still in its early days. They’ve filed pre-review applications with Clark County for a hotel-casino, convention center, and theater. Basically, that means county staff will check everything’s in order before the tribe officially submits its proposal.
County Commissioner Jim Gibson even said he’s expecting them to propose something “pretty significant.” So yeah, big things could be coming.
Not Everyone’s On Board
Here’s where it gets tricky. Not everyone from the MHA Nation is thrilled about pouring money into Vegas. In fact, some tribal members in North Dakota are straight-up against it. They’ve been protesting, saying the money would be better spent on housing and healthcare on the reservation. At a 2023 demonstration, you could see signs saying things like “No more off-reservation spending!!” and “Build our future here!!”
But Mark Fox is sticking to his guns. He says the whole point of these investments is to generate revenue that’ll benefit the tribe back home.
What About The Money?
It’s not cheap to pull off something this big. In November 2024, Fox told the Tribal Business Council that the Vegas project would need about $2 billion in outside investment. The good news? The MHA Nation already owns the land, so they don’t have to worry about extra costs there.
There’s even some buzz about potential investors interested in bringing a new NBA team to Las Vegas, but no one’s making any promises yet.
Is This Actually Happening?
It’s looking likely. Even Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo is cool with the idea and said he “welcomes new investment in Las Vegas.” But until the MHA Nation formally submits their proposal to Clark County, it’s all just talk.
What do you think? Should the MHA Nation double down on this bold Vegas move, or should they focus their resources on their community back home?
