Mark Wahlberg all in on sports trading cards Las Vegas venture

Actor Mark Wahlberg was ripping packs of sports trading cards open with fans on Thursday evening, promoting a future Southern Nevada business venture that will add his famous last name to a new store.

Wahlberg teamed up with Michael Meldman, the Las Vegas Raiders minority owner and Discovery Land Company chairman, to create Paradise Card Breaks Wahlberg Edition. The store will open next year in Downtown Summerlin and will feature a media element, with live pack openings and fan events featuring sports stars and other VIP guests.

Wahlberg and Meldman partnered with Paradise Card Breaks owner Mark Laird in the business.

Card venture

The A-list actor said he turned a hobby that he started as a kid into a family affair and now a business venture.

“I’ve been collecting cards since I was a kid,” Wahlberg told the Review-Journal during a trading card pack opening event at Red Rock Resort. “One of the more memorable moments traveling with my dad when I was able to go to work with him, I would always talk him into buying me a couple packs of cards.

“And then, I started getting into it with my kids. That was the thing, just something for us to connect with, spend a little bit more quality time together. That was really what it was about, passing the tradition on to my son. They’re really into it, along with fantasy football and everything else. they’re a little bit more savvy than me.”

Wahlberg said his home is located in the ultra-exclusive Summit Club in Summerlin, which Discovery Land Co. developed. With the two sides sharing similar interests and family values, it made sense to partner on the trading card business, Wahlberg said.

“Mike and I have been friends for a long time,” Wahlberg said. “And we were talking about doing some stuff together. Everything that Mike built, he builds around spending time with his children too. So I said, Mike, why don’t you do it with your sons and I’ll do it with mine.

“Partnering up with Mark was a blessing. We loved what he was doing, especially in the (card) breaking space because we want to create more experience-driven stuff. So being able to bring athletes down, have them do breaks with us, people connect with athletes and their biggest sports heroes. So I think that’s something that hopefully is going to differentiate us from everybody else.”

Brady connection

Wahlberg’s other longtime friend, former NFL great and Raiders minority owner Tom Brady is also in the card business, with his Card Vault by Tom Brady stores that are opening across the nation, including in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay.

Originally from the Boston area and a lifelong New England Patriots fan, Wahlberg said Brady buying into the Raiders was tough at first, but he is now happy for his friend and his professional life.

“At first I was a little, like most Patriots fans, a little hurt by it, but then I completely understand, business is business,” Wahlberg said. “Tom, he’s such a great football mind that I think him in the back office, ownership is going to be (great). Brady’s got a serious chance to do some special things in a short amount of time.”

Future team ownership?

Wahlberg said he’s also friends with other Raiders minority owners — Silver Lake co-CEO Egon Durban and WME and TKO Group Holdings executive Ari Emanuel. Durban also joined the NBA Las Vegas expansion bid group that includes Walmart heiress Nancy Walton Laurie and her husband Bill Laurie.

Although he hasn’t bought into a team yet, Wahlberg said it’s something that he has discussed for decades and even as recently with the NBA expansion bid process.

“I have (been contacted),” Wahlberg said. “Even early on in the ‘90s, but maybe sometime in the future. It’ll be interesting to see (who lands Las Vegas’ NBA team).”

Live experiences

As part of the Paradise Card Breaks venture, Wahlberg added a card break podcast studio in the Summit Club. Paradise Card Breaks Wahlberg Edition also started hosting pack opening experiences.

During the Raiders-Buffalo Bills game at Allegiant Stadium last week, Walhberg could be seen opening packs at a reserved table at Wynn Field Club, which is located in the north end zone of the $2 billion stadium. The event was a collaboration between Paradise Card Breaks Wahlberg Edition and Card Vault by Tom Brady.

A menu posted on social media from the event listed packages ranging from between $7,500 and $12,500. The three packages featured a mix of boxes of cards to open and alcoholic beverages.

“We want to connect with as many people as possible,” Wahlberg said. “Anytime we can do experience-driven stuff, I think it’s just that much better to connect with people, you know what I mean? Because this is a great hobby that should be shared with people all over. Sons, fathers, children, girls, boys. It’s fantastic to do with the family. And also, if you’re savvy about it and you also get a little bit lucky, you can find some great cards and you can build something that could have some real value to it.”

Contact Mick Akers at [email protected] or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.