---
title: "Billionaire SpaceX Tourist Places Las Vegas Bet From Outer Space"
description: "The Inspiration4 all-tourist crew is not wasting no time catching zillion-dollar views from a massive glass dome — and indulging in some space gambling."
date: "2021-09-17"
modified: "2021-09-17"
authors:
  - name: "Victor Tangermann"
    job_title: "Senior Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/billionaire-spacex-tourist-las-vegas-bet-space"
categories:
  - "Space"
  - "SpaceX"
tags:
  - "crew dragon"
  - "space tourism"
  - "SpaceX"
  - "the digest"
---

# Billionaire SpaceX Tourist Places Las Vegas Bet From Outer Space

![The Inspiration4 all-tourist crew is not wasting no time catching zillion-dollar views from a massive glass dome — and indulging in some space gambling.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/billionaire-spacex-tourist-las-vegas-bet-space.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: SpaceX / Futurism\</em\>*

## Space Gambling

The all-tourist Inspiration4 crew is currently circling the Earth inside a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, after [launching](<https://futurism.com/spacex-successfully-launches-first-all-civilian-space-mission>) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday evening.

Now they're chilling up there, catching [zillion-dollar views](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/view-spacex-inspiration4-toilet-incredible>) from a [massive glass dome](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-dome-space-tourists>) — and, apparently, indulging in some good old fashioned gambling.

Mission commander and billionaire funder Jared Isaacman "just became the FIRST person to ever place a bet from outer space to Las Vegas," [according to](<https://twitter.com/BetMGM/status/1438607327201013765>) casino giant MGM Resorts International.

## Reality Check

How did space tourism get so tacky so fast? Are we headed toward a future of space travel dominated by slot machines and giant billboards, like in William Gibson's science fiction epic "Neuromancer," will become commonplace?

At least BetMGM is also making a $25,000 donation to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The Crew Dragon was also [loaded up with NFTs](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-tourist-spacecraft-dozens-nfts>), another effort by Isaacman to raise money for the hospital.

Our take? Stuff like this makes the trip look like a big infomercial. At the same time, these are private individuals circling the Earth inside a private vehicle. They can, at least to some degree, do what they please — even if that includes [watching movies and eating cold pizza](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-tourists-mission-simulation>).

**More on the launch:** *[SpaceX Tourists' Mission Simulation Included Life-Threatening Situation](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/spacex-tourists-mission-simulation>)*

## Author
I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/vtanger.bsky.social>)