Las Vegas Sands has been accused of colluding with the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce in a ‘backroom deal’ to secure the sale of the former Texas Stadium’s land.
A Dallas County resident has launched a pre-suit discovery petition accusing the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce of secretly negotiating on behalf of Las Vegas Sands to acquire the former Texas Stadium site, Irving’s most valuable parcel of land.
In a Rule 202 petition filed yesterday (23 April) and first reported by gaming lawyer Daniel Wallach, Ada Pimentel alleges that the Chamber breached its fiduciary duties, misused public funds and conspired with Sands in a “backroom deal” that excluded Irving’s citizens and city officials from a fair, competitive process.
The filing said: “Not only has the Irving Chamber of Commerce hidden its improper negotiations with Sands from the public, the Irving Chamber of Commerce has openly lied to elected city representatives about its dealings with the Sands Corporation.
“The Chamber’s actions constitute nothing less than a betrayal of public confidence, as it appears to be subverting a competitive bidding process that would have ensured the City reaped the maximum value from this precious Property.”
The stadium, home to the Dallas Cowboys for 38 seasons, was demolished in 2010 after the team left for a newly constructed stadium in Arlington, now the AT&T Stadium.
According to Pimentel’s petition, documents obtained under the Texas Public Information Act reveal that the Chamber and Sands retained the same attorney and referred to themselves collectively as “the Chamber,” signalling a conflict of interest with Irving’s taxpayers.
The petition further claims the Chamber has lied to elected officials about ongoing negotiations and is withholding records about a yet-to-be-finalised zoning RFP and undisclosed real estate transaction related to Planned Unit Development 6.
The 1,001-acre PUD 6 tract, home to the demolished Texas Stadium, has sat largely vacant since 2010, when the Cowboys moved to Arlington.
Irving originally zoned the area for mixed-use development in 2015, dubbing it an “immense development opportunity”.
Las Vegas Sands Texas development
The site’s proximity to land Sands already owns has fuelled speculation that the gaming giant covets the adjacent parcel to complement its planned resort.
An affiliate of Sands purchased 108 acres near the old stadium in July 2023 through Village Walk RE 2 LLC.
Later reporting revealed that the Adelson family’s interests actually encompass some 259 acres across eight parcels, valued at roughly $36m by the Dallas Central Appraisal District.
In March 2025, after vocal opposition to the legalisation of casino gaming in Texas, Sands withdrew the gambling component of its zoning application, but retained a path for a high-intensity mixed-use project.
On 20 March, the Irving City Council approved amended zoning without any casino provisions by two 6–3 votes, acknowledging the need for state authorisation before gaming could proceed.
Meanwhile, a pending bill in the Texas Legislature aims to streamline casino-resort approvals, potentially smoothing the way for future developments in Irving.
Pimentel’s petition seeks a six-hour oral and videotaped deposition of a Chamber corporate representative to uncover the nature and extent of these clandestine dealings.
Sands and Chamber of Commerce deny claims
In a statement provided to NEXT.io, Sands denied the matter. A spokesperson said: “Sands is not negotiating nor does the company have any plans to begin negotiations related to the Texas Stadium site. The company is focused on the real estate it already has ownership of in Irving.”
The Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce likewise slammed the “baseless and factually erroneous” petition.
Beth Bowman, Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, told NEXT.io: “One of the primary strategic initiatives identified in the City’s Plan is attracting a global destination to the PUD 6 area to make a major, transformational impact in terms of investment, jobs and the City’s tax base. There is nothing unusual or surprising about this important priority.
“The Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce works diligently to serve the best interests of its member-investors, economic development partner the City of Irving, as well as the entire Irving community, by facilitating exploratory conversations between various interested parties and identifying mutually beneficial solutions.
“We can unequivocally state there have not been any nor are there any current negotiations underway for the sale of the former stadium site. Any claim to the contrary is erroneous.”