NFL-No-go zone no longer as teams and fans flock to Vegas

When the Super Bowl hits the Las Vegas Strip in February it will mark the crowning moment in a remarkable civic makeover that has seen Sin City evolve from gambling hub to sporting capital.

Less than a decade ago Las Vegas was a no-go zone for major professional sport leagues over fears of having their products tainted by the stain of betting.

But today visitors are just as likely to come to the gambling oasis to attend a sporting event as they are to take a seat at the poker or roulette tables.

Last week the slots machines were spinning but so were the turnstiles at sport venues across the city with the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, NHL's Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights, WNBA Aces, the PGA Tour and NASCAR all in action.

"Ten years ago professional sports in Las Vegas it seemed like maybe I will live long enough to see that happen one day and all of a sudden it happens," said Steve Hill, CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). "The concern around the integrity of and playing in Las Vegas has completely disappeared and really flipped over.

"It's been a fast change."

Boxing and MMA remain big draws on the Strip but there are no shortage of newcomers from rugby sevens to curling looking to get in on the Vegas action.

The casinos are bigger and brasher than ever but among them are flashy state-of-the-art stadiums and arenas with a nearby patch of tarmac and desert earmarked for a new ballpark and the arrival of Major League Baseball.

LeBron James has expressed interest in bringing a National Basketball Association team to Las Vegas at some point when he transitions from player to potential team owner while Major League Soccer could plant its flag in the desert down the road.

"We are the sports capital of the