Sands and MSG partner to build big new event venue in Vegas

This, of course, comes as Sands is also trying to gain approval to build a sports and concert stadium in Vegas, with hopes of luring the Oakland Raiders football team to relocate there, and follows rival MGM Resorts International opening the 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena, which will also be used for sporting events and concerts.

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Many believe that this kind of reorientation is exactly what is needed to restore Las Vegas to health -- that if the city remained just about gambling, it would stagnate. Entertainment, whether concerts, sports, or other activities, will make Las Vegas grow

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According to the joint statement issued by Sands and MSG, the venue will be the largest of its kind in the world, and will be unique in that all the seats will be in front of the stage. The hall would also feature luxury seating options, clubs, and lounges.

Many believe that this kind of reorientation is exactly what is needed to restore Las Vegas to health -- that if the city remained just about gambling, it would stagnate. Entertainment, whether concerts, sports, or other activities, will make Las Vegas grow.

Similar undertakings are afoot in Macau, the tiny island just off the coast of China, where casino operators are building more entertainment complexes, theme parks, water parks, and family-oriented venues in hopes of creating new profit sources to offset falling gaming revenues, which have declined for 23 straight months.

Nevada is also apparently suffering from gambling fatigue, and revenues there have fallen for two consecutive months. On the East Coast, Atlantic City saw its first month of higher gaming revenues in four months after it introduced online betting.

However, though Atlantic City has long had a reputation for being about more than just gambling -- natural, considering its prime beachfront location -- it is still in decline, with four casinos closing their doors over the past few years. Of course, Atlantic City is also high-crime town where visitors don't want to venture far from the boardwalk. Las Vegas, therefore, may have more success in developing and sustaining entertainment venues than its eastern counterpart.

Wynn Resorts also wants to build a water park on the site of its existing golf course, but conservationists are worried about the impact adding a 38-acre man-made lake to the middle of a desert will have on water resources in the area.

Should all of these development plans come to fruition, though, no longer would it be a case of what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, as you'll want to spread the word about what was experienced.