OAKLAND (KRON) — The Oakland Raiders have officially filed their paperwork to relocate to Las Vegas Thursday morning, according to Clark County Commission Chair Steve Sisolak.

This is the next step for their push to move to Las Vegas. However, the Raiders will still need 24 votes from the league’s owners to formally make the move. That vote is expected to happen late March.

Sisolak is part of an 11-member panel that was appointed by Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval to study plans for a proposal backed by billionaire casino owner Sheldon Adelson’s company, Las Vegas Sands Corp., to build a domed stadium to lure the Raiders to town.

The proposed 65,000-seat domed stadium is expected to cost $1.9 billion, including $750 million in hotel tax revenue, $650 million from Adelson, and $500 million from the Raiders and the NFL.

“I am happy to see the process moving forward, and greatly appreciate the commitment of the Raiders and work of the Adelson family to the hope of making Las Vegas the home of the Raiders,” Sisolak said.

A stadium site hasn’t been picked, but is expected to be close to the Las Vegas Strip and tens of thousands of casino hotel rooms.

Owner Mark Davis has been pushing for the team to move to Las Vegas. He’s already filed for trademarks for the phrase “Las Vegas Raiders.”

“Today, the Oakland Raiders submitted an application to relocate their franchise to Las Vegas, as is provided for under the NFL policy and procedures for proposed franchise relocations,” the league said. “The application will be reviewed in the coming weeks by league staff and the stadium and finance Committees.”

The City of Oakland is hoping to keep the team in The Town. But with city officials struggling to compete with the deals in place with Vegas politicians, the chances of keeping the Silver and Black are beginning to look slim.

Despite Raiders for filing paperwork to move to Las Vegas, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said this is far from over. Schaaf also said the city will present the Ronnie Lott proposal to keep the team in town directly to NFL owners.

For years, the Raiders have said they needed a new stadium; their current home opened in 1966 and is the only facility shared by a baseball and football franchise. Under Davis’ father, Hall of Fame owner Al Davis, the Raiders moved from Oakland to Los Angeles in 1982, then returned to the East Bay in 1995.

Should the Raiders be allowed to move to Nevada, it would be the third relocation approval in one year. The Rams moved from St. Louis to Los Angeles last year and are building a $2.6 billion stadium in Inglewood. The Chargers last week announced their relocation to LA and will be a tenant in that new stadium, scheduled to open in 2019.Stay with KRON4 News for updates

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