The annual competition, one of the flagship events for the World Curling Federation (WCF), will be held almost immediately after the Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, with the tournament due to take place from March 31 to April 8.

The 8,000-seater Orleans Arena, which played host to last year’s World Financial Group Continental Cup of Curling, contested between North America and Team World, will be the venue for the 2018 World Men’s Championship.

It will be the eighth time the tournament has been held in America but it has never been held in the west of the country.

The US last hosted the tournament in 2008 in Grand Forks in North Dakota.

“We’re delighted to be taking the World Men’s Curling Championship to one of the most recognised cities in the world, in 2018, and back to America for the first time since 2008,” WCF President Kate Caithness said.

“The WFG Continental Cup in 2014 was a great success and has helped lay the foundations for this Championship.

“I look forward to working with the Local Organising Committee, USA Curling and our sponsors and partners in the coming years, as we seek to capitalise on the growing interest in curling, not only in Las Vegas but throughout the United States.”

The announcement comes as part of a drive to stage more major sporting competitions in Las Vegas, with the Orleans Arena set to continue its strong relationship with curling when it hosts the Continental Cup for the second time in 2016.

"Just three years ago we were announcing the first major curling event coming to Las Vegas, and now we have the distinct pleasure of partnering again with the World Curling Federation and our friends in Nevada to bring this superb championship to one of the liveliest cities in the world,” USA Curling chief executive Rick Patzke said.

“Sandstone may be the official rock of Nevada, but I think the curling stone could soon be in the running for some sort of high-roller status.

“Yet it’s the athletes working their magic with those stones, and the passionate fans who follow the sport around the globe, who will make this a can’t-miss show in Las Vegas in 2018.”

The competition sees the top 12 men’s teams across the globe compete for the world title, featuring eight from Europe, two from the Americas and two from the Pacific-Asia Zone.

The US, who last won a gold medal at the event in 1978, when it was held in Winnipeg, with their best recent performance coming in 2007 in Edmonton, Canada, where they earned bronze, will qualify by virtue of being the host nation.

Basel in Switzerland is due to  host next year’s World Men’s Championship, where Olympic bronze medallists Sweden will bid to defend their crown.

Canada is set to stage the 2017 edition of the event but no host city has yet been confirmed.

The Olympic curling competition in Pyeongchang is due to take place between February 10 and 26 in 2008.

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