[extropy-chat] casinos, yes or no

[J. Andrew Rogers]

Damien Broderick wrote: 
> I wonder what the casino owners spend their winnings on? More lavish and 
> expensive lures? Investment in Good Causes?


Monorail!

http://www.lvmonorail.com/


One of the really interesting things about Las Vegas is that a great
many things that would be huge public works projects and agencies
anywhere else are privately funded and managed by adhoc partnerships of
the casino companies.  These companies are the ultimate capitalists,
pragmatic to the core, and they have the long-term vision to see the
profit motive in making the city experience as smoothly run and
spectacular as possible.  I don't go very often, but every time I do I
am amazed how quickly that city transforms itself, never mind the fact
that it is all done with private money at a profit.

Las Vegas is a pretty unusual city, almost straight out of a sci-fi book
in some respects.  It is an interesting libertarian-capitalist
microcosm, built in the Nevada desert because most governments wouldn't
deign to entertain such a concept.

j. andrew rogers