Batman is many things to many people, but he’s not exactly the face of gambling. Melco Crown Entertainment is hoping to change that, though, by licensing Batman and other DC characters and making them the central theme of its new casino.
Being built in Macao, Studio City has a somewhat odd grasp of the comics. For example, the building will have two holes in its center, inspired by asteroids hitting Gotham City. Uhhhhh, OK? Did we mention those holes are also Ferris wheels?
The key attraction will be Batman: Dark Flight, which actually sounds pretty cool; it’s a “virtual” ride where you shadow Batman as he patrols Gotham City. In addition, it’ll have rides like Flash bumper cars and “structures” for kids to climb on, which we are assuming will be slightly cooler than the sad, sad Angry Birds “activity” parks.
As for why Batman is hitting the tables after a hard night of hitting the Joker, Macau has seen tourism and gambling revenues drop substantially thanks to high rollers taking it easy. So, they’re trying to bring in more middle-class tourists by offering family-friendly venues or at the very least places to dump the kids while you gamble away their college fund. Which isn’t very superheroic, but hey, they have to pay for the Watchtower somehow.