Billionaire William Foley is betting hockey will sell in Sin City .
Foley is in advanced talks with the NHL about bringing the first major league sports franchise to Las Vegas, The Post has learned.
“He’s the real deal,” a source said. “He has deep pockets.
His goal is to bring an NHL team to Vegas starting with the 2017-18 season, which would mark the league’s 100th anniversary.
If he succeeds, Foley will likely bring in others to run the team. He did not return calls seeking comment.
Foley, 70, made his fortune forming home title insurer Fidelity National Financial and consolidating the industry. He also owns 14 West Coast wineries.
One scenario is for Foley to buy the money-losing Arizona Coyotes and move them to Las Vegas, a source said.
Earlier this month, Philadelphia hedge fund manager Andrew Barroway reached a deal to acquire a controlling stake in the Coyotes franchise. Barroway sees flipping the team as a good investment, the source added.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman’s half brother, Jeffrey Pollack, has been advising Barroway, sources said. Pollack also lives in Las Vegas.
While an NHL spokesman declined to discuss what, if any talks the league has held with Foley, he said it was “categorically wrong” that Foley is planning to buy the Coyotes and move them to Sin City.
Coyotes co-owner and CEO Anthony LeBlanc told The Post: “The Arizona Coyotes are absolutely not relocating. IceArizona is committed to our market and our fans.”
IceArizona, which will maintain a 49 percent interest in the franchise after the Barroway sale, has a lease for the arena that contains an out-clause after five years, or after the 2017-18 season, if losses total $50 million.
Earlier this month, Bettman suggested the league was open to expansion, including bringing a team to the gambling mecca in the middle of the desert.
“We’re going to continue to listen to expressions of interest, and that’s gratifying that we’re getting them, but we’re not ready to go through a formal expansion project,” he said.
MGM Resorts and arena operator AEG have broken ground on a 20,000 seat hockey-ready arena in Las Vegas that is slated to open in spring 2016.