when did the nfr move to las vegas
National Finals Rodeo In 1984, Las Vegas bid for the event. Although the Oklahoma City Council considered building a new $30 million arena at the State Fairgrounds, the Las Vegas bid won. Since 1985 the NFR has been held in the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The NFR has become Thomas & Mack Center arenaâ€™s biggest client, bringing in more than 170,000 fans during the 10-day event.