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Billionaire casino mogul and Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has agreed to purchase the Connecticut Sun WNBA franchise for a cool $300 million, which represents the most spent on a team to date.
His intention is to relocate the team to Houston and rebrand them.
The Sun's average attendance last season was 8,653 per game, drawing near the bottom of the league.
It's interesting to know that, while the Sun's attendance level was lower during the 2022-23 season, they actually ranked No. 5 in the league.
That's because the WNBA attendance overall has increased dramatically over these past few years. Connecticut's franchise just hasn't kept up with that trend.
Any relocation impacts Connecticut's thriving casino sector, specifically as it applies to the Mohegan Sun. WNBA games are played in that casino complex.
That casino is estimated to have made $8M–$15M per year in direct game-related revenue. The Mohegan Sun likely takes in $800 million
Fertitta owns the Golden Nugget casinos and reportedly is interested in acquiring Caesars Entertainment. Earlier this month, he reportedly made a $34-per-share offer, valuing the company’s equity at around $7 billion.
- Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com
