The 106th annual Bowling Congress Open Championships kicked off in Las Vegas in mid-February. The last time Las Vegas hosted the U.S. Bowling Open was in 1986.
The event is expected to draw 250,000 spectators and 85,000 bowlers. over the length of the five-month tournament. Prize money totals $7 million; up to $100 million will be infused into the Las Vegas economy.
The tournament is being held at Cashman Center, a multi-use indoor-outdoor facility on a 55-acre site about a mile north of downtown Las Vegas (at 850 Las Vegas Blvd. N. at the intersection with Washington Avenue). The entire Center encompasses 483,000 square feet, including nearly 100,000 square feet of exhibit space, 12 meeting rooms, a 2,000-seat theater, a 10,000-seat baseball stadium (home of the Las Vegas 51s, AAA affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays), and 2,500 parking spaces.
Each piece of the facility is capable of functioning independently for conventions and trade shows, theatrical presentations, and sporting events, such as the bowling tournament. A $10 million temporary 60-lane bowling center was constructed inside the Cashman exhibition hall, complete with a 400-foot-long LED video scoreboard. The lanes will be torn down following the tournament.
