As the Las Vegas Convention Center expands to proportions once seemingly unimaginable (two miles in length), the governing authority is looking for new methods to get conventioneers around it — especially to their parked cars. The Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority has settled upon a subterranean people-mover designed by Elon Musk‘s The Boring Co. Three potential routes have been submitted, and the cost has been pegged between $30 million and $55 million, supposedly the cheapest option presented. We’re a little skeptical of those figures, given the cost overruns associated with mass transit in neighboring states. Also, Musk recently mortgaged five “gigantic” mansions, according to L.A. Biz.
However, if Musk can build his Convention Center tram cost-efficiently, it bodes well for another idea he’s floated: a people mover stretching from Circus Circus to McCarran International Airport. Now that plans to the extend the Las Vegas Monorail to Mandalay Bay appear to have collapsed, a serious look at Musk’s alternative is warranted. We rather fancy one of the alternatives that was rejected — gondolas — but we can see why the LVCVA was leery of a proposed monorail. Those things have a grim track record in Las Vegas. Musk currently has similar irons in the fire in Chicago and Washington, D.C. If it’s good enough for the nation’s capitol, why not Sin City.
* In case you missed it, Carl Icahn has increased his stake in Caesars Entertainment to 15.5%, making him the largest single shareholder in the company. Couple that with his three surrogates on the board and his prerogative to name the next CEO, it’s Icahn’s company now.
* Despite the presence of legal casinos in Arizona, black market operations have cropped up. Last week, police descended upon Thanh Long Billiards and Lah Anh Billiards. The bust demonstrates that illegal gambling could be lurking right under your nose: “One of the storefronts appears to be located in a non-descript strip mall, the other a residential area.” Gambling devices were confiscated, along with $1 million in cash. The billiard-parlor operators are looking at Class 5 felony charges for their alleged activities. The question remains, Why would a gambler risk arrest to play at an illegal casino when so many lawful alternatives present themselves.
