Nevada Lieutenant Governor Stavros Anthony is looking to the stars to boost the Silver State's entertainment economy, proposing space tourism as a natural next step for a region that has rapidly transformed into a global sports hub. With Elon Musk maintaining significant business interests in Nevada, Anthony sees an opportunity to turn the state into a destination for commercial space travel.
In a recent interview at FreedomFest in Las Vegas, Anthony outlined his vision for leveraging Nevada's open landscapes and light regulatory environment to attract private space ventures. He suggested that Musk, whose companies SpaceX and Tesla have operations in the state, could use Nevada's vast expanses to launch rockets for tourist excursions. «One thing that is of interest is space tourism. I think that might be a future here in Nevada because we have a lot of open land where somebody like Elon Musk can shoot rockets up into outer space, hang out up there for a while, have some drinks. Hang out with friends,» Anthony said.
The lieutenant governor, who has served alongside Governor Joe Lombardo since 2022, emphasized that the private sector would drive such innovation. «It's the private sector that needs to do it. And I am very much in favor of allowing our entrepreneurs to come up with the next best thing and to support them,» he added.
Anthony's background includes nearly three decades in law enforcement with the Las Vegas Metro Police, a stint as a regent in the state's higher education system, and a long tenure as a Las Vegas city councilman. He credits his policing career with teaching him problem-solving skills that he applies to governance. «Most people think of the policing that they see on television. High-speed pursuits, gunfights, bar fights, chasing people down dark alleys and arresting serious criminals. But, really, 90% of police work is really solving problems,» he said.
Under the Lombardo/Anthony administration, Nevada has aggressively courted professional sports. The state now hosts NFL, NHL, WNBA, and MLB teams, along with Formula 1 racing and NASCAR events. «If you look at 10 years ago, we didn't have one major sporting activity here in Nevada. They actually would not come here because they thought there would be illegal gambling and corruption and bribery,» Anthony noted. «In 10 years, we've become the sports capital of the world.»
Anthony's enthusiasm for space tourism reflects a broader strategy to diversify Nevada's entertainment offerings beyond traditional gambling and shows. He described the potential experience of viewing Earth from orbit as a unique tourist adventure. «What an experience that would be to see the Earth from up there and actually make it a tourist kind of an adventure,» he said.
The lieutenant governor also addressed the upcoming 2026 gubernatorial election, which is expected to be highly competitive. President Donald Trump has endorsed both Lombardo and Anthony, and Anthony believes the «no tax on tips» policy championed by Trump will resonate strongly with Nevada voters. «President Trump has endorsed the governor. President Trump has endorsed me. He was just here a couple of months ago to talk about his no taxes on tips, which was a huge thing here in Nevada,» Anthony said.
Anthony's political philosophy is deeply influenced by his immigrant parents from Cyprus, who instilled in him values of hard work and self-reliance. «When they came to the United States, and they didn't have anything, all they could do was find a job and get married and raise a family. No. 1: you work hard. No. 2: you don't ask the government for anything,» he recalled. He applies this principle to his public service, aiming to support Nevadans without fostering dependency. «I am here to support Nevadans in ways that they want support, but I'm not here to carry them. They need to carry themselves, and I think they understand that,» he said.
As Nevada continues to evolve its tourism and entertainment sectors, Anthony's space tourism proposal adds a futuristic dimension to the state's economic development efforts. While the idea remains conceptual, it underscores the state's willingness to embrace unconventional industries under its current leadership.