Las Vegas Is Not Built On Sin

I recently attended The Amazing Meeting in Las Vegas. While attending Penn and Teller's Vegas show. Penn Gillette pointed out a very good point Vegas is actually built on bad math. Where else would you consider a 98% payout a good thing.

The harsh reality is that Vegas might be a little more interesting if it was based on a little more sin. I spent the off time from the conventions roaming around the myriad casinos on the strip. Certainly you can see some people having fun and socializing around some of the gambling tables, but there are too many people just focused at the slot machines. Alone and lost in there own little world. I don't see them having fun. Just a bunch of people hoping for the big score that doesn't come.

A few people have pointed out to me that Vegas is better than Atlantic City. Most people in Vegas are at least playing with money they can lose, Atlantic City too many are playing with the rent money.

One of the locals I met is pointing out that the current mayor is trying to legalize prostitution in the city. To me this seems like the the better idea. If the place is going to be called Sin City wouldn't it be somewhat better to legalize some of the sin (plus then you can tax it and enforce health codes on it.) A bit more debauchery would be better in a city that right now has too many people in it just mindlessly losing money, and not having that much fun. Just my observation.