An editorial / By Dale McFeatters
Scripps Howard News Service
2008-02-14 00:00:00

Airbus says that "several customers" have been in touch with the aircraft manufacturer about converting its massive new superjumbo, the A380, into flying casinos.

These airborne gaming palaces, with two decks and 50 percent more floor space than the 747, seem intended to ferry the hard-gambling Asians, especially the Chinese newly come into money, to the world's major gambling destinations.

This is one of those ideas that look great on paper, but even casual perusal reveals several possible drawbacks.

First, gamblers tend to be intensely superstitious, and being locked in with fellow passengers who believe everything is a matter of luck -- including such things as altitude, airspeed, structural integrity, the pilots' sanity -- might not be the most positive flying experience.

Next, there are some casino games -- roulette, anything with stacks of chips -- that don't lend themselves to turbulence. There are games that would adapt to being bolted into an aircraft -- slot machines, for example -- but can you imagine being closed up for a 12-hour flight from Beijing with the constant beeping, tooting and clinking? You'd go nuts at the halfway point.

Finally, the land-bound casinos will support airborne casinos only until the first load of inbound high-rollers departs the plane dead broke because the players lost all their money on the flight over.

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)