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Las Vegas and Cincinnati withdraw from 2016 RNC site contention

The two cities on Thursday withdrew from the running for host of the 2016 Republican National Convention.
Workers mount a giant banner at the Tampa Bay Times Forum ahead of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, on Aug. 24, 2012.
Workers mount a giant banner at the Tampa Bay Times Forum ahead of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, on Aug. 24, 2012.

What happens in Vegas won't stay in Vegas -- at the 2016 Republican National Convention, at least.

Both Las Vegas and Cincinnati on Thursday withdrew from the competition to host the 2016 Republican convention, citing mandatory criteria for the chosen arena facility, NBC News confirmed.

The four remaining cities are Dallas, Texas; Kansas City, Mo.; Denver, Colo.; and Cleveland, Ohio.

There are 3.2 million square feet at the Las Vegas Convention Center, which is located near the casino-lined strip, according to an article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. But workers would be required to add more than 70 VIP sky boxes to facilitate the event. The city is usually home to some of the country's largest conventions.

Cleveland is being considered as a location for the Democratic National Convention.

The most recent RNC was held in Tampa, Fla.