Las Vegas Moves the Action Outside

The Rock in Rio festival, coming to Las Vegas in mid-May, features bands such as Metallica, singers Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars, a Ferris wheel, and a zip line that sends people soaring over the audience in front of the stage. It all happens on land owned by MGM Resorts International, the city’s largest casino operator.

It used to be that casino managers worked hard to keep people inside. There were few windows, carpeted pathways that took you in circles, and free drinks that kept you at the blackjack tables. An explosion of casinos outside Nevada and a lack of interest in slot machines among young people has prompted the nation’s gambling capital to think about the possibly great outdoors.