As everyone knows, Las Vegas doesn’t tend to do things by half. If you take a walk down The Strip, for instance, you will see sites like the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower. They aren’t the real thing, of course, but they aren’t too far off in terms of scope. The Vegas’ Eiffel Tower, for example, is almost half the size of Gustav Eiffel’s iconic structure in Paris. That’s not bad for something that is essentially a gimmick.

But if Las Vegas has always had grand ambition, some entrepreneurs have designs on bringing something to The Strip that is (almost) literally out of this world. Plans were announced for a new casino and resort – Moon. It will be the world’s largest spherical-shaped building, and it will offer lunar-themed experiences. It will also have 4,000 bedrooms, a 10,000-seater stadium and a huge convention centre shaped like a spaceship.

Moon is part of a changing Las Vegas

Of course, this is Las Vegas, so there will be a massive casino within the structure too. But it is interesting to see that much of the marketing by the Moon World Resorts is focusing on elements beyond the gaming tables. Some of that is understandable. Las Vegas is changing, and with the arrival of the Las Vegas Raiders and Golden Knights in recent years, there is so much more to the city than gambling. Perhaps some of that is down to the rise of online casinos. In an instant, anyone can play slots like Vegas Nights on their smartphone or tablet – so why travel all the way to Nevada?

Indeed, much of the marketing of Moon talked about the billionaire’s space race, i.e., the news stories you’ll have seen recently with the likes of Jeff Bezos going into orbit. The company is touting its lunar experiences as a cost-effective way of experiencing what astronauts do when they set off into space. That’s not totally unprecedented, of course, and you will find lots of those space-themed experiences in the theme parks of Florida. Reports have said that a 90-minute lunar experience at Moon would cost somewhere around $500 (£370). That’s quite expensive, but it’s a lot less than what the average space tourist is paying out. In fact, as the New York Post reports, it’s about 500X less.

Moon seems like a child-friendly idea in an ‘adult city’

But this idea does feel like a good one to make Las Vegas a bit more child-friendly. It’s not as if Sin City is completely off-limits for children. But, if you have been there, you will know that a huge amount of the attractions are geared towards adults. Sure, the big Vegas shows featuring the likes of Tom Jones or Celine Dion were always used to get people into the casinos. But today, there is more focus on nightclubs, pool parties and EDM festivals. Moon is something a little different, adding a family feel to the city that has always been viewed as an adults’ playground.

And yet, before you decide to start booking a trip to Moon for you and your kids, be aware that this project will take several years to complete. Moon is expected to open somewhere around 2025, or maybe 2026. If you don’t want to head to Nevada, there are plans for similar resorts in Spain, China and the Middle East. The cost of the initial project is expected to be somewhere in the region of $5 billion (£3.7 billion).