Forum:Why does House keep the Lucky 38 closed?

Why do you think House keeps the Lucky 38 closed to the public? This was discussed in House's talk page, but I'm not sure it really went anywhere.

Personally, I have three theories:

1. House is a monopoly proprietor of the Strip. Monopolists do not necessarily increase their revenue, let alone their profits, by increasing their supply. Three casinos is most profitable. Four casinos would create too much competition, forcing all four of them to give better odds to gamblers to stay in business, as well as the costs of staffing and operating the Lucky 38 itself.

2. House regards the "essential functions" of the Lucky 38 (securitron maintenance facilities, mainframe, his personal control room, etc) as incompatible with being open to the public. Basically, he think that, even if he blocked off a few essential areas like the Basement and the Penthouse, hostile forces (Brotherhood, Frumentarii, NCR intelligence) could either break into those areas or hack his mainframe from the casino lobby or something.

3. House is a snob. He holds most of the people of the 23rd century in contempt, regarding them as illiterate, uncouth savages. The idea of drunken off-duty NCR MPs, ritually tattooed tribals, ghouls, and the other trash of the wastes setting foot inside his casinos disgusts him -- yet, to make money, he's willing to let them use the Ultra-Luxe, Tops, and Gomorrah. However, while he is willing to abase three of his casinos for caps, he insists on keeping the Lucky 38 as his own: a mausoleum preserving the glorious world that once was, never to be despoiled by the barbarism of the post-nuclear dark ages.

Other ideas? Thoughts?

Idhan 04:36, June 22, 2011 (UTC)
 * Because he's Howard Hughes. --233345-cartman1_tiny.gif Avatar talk.png 04:50, June 22, 2011 (UTC)

Probably all of them but the third reason most of all. But the biggest reason being that he's sociopathic dick whose narcissistic relationship with the idols he built to himself border on an obssessive-complusive disorder. Captain Taipan said it the best when he remarked that Mr.House's motto should've been "Capitalism,Capitalism never changes." he spent millions (probably billions) of dollars saving himself and the city that was his favorite personal hangout but was uninterested and unwilling to try to stop a nuclear war that killed billions. That's a special kind of fucked up.

Mr.House doesn't have any use for people who he can't make a buck off or who he can't exploit into doing his dirty work and there's no reason to believe he treated other people any different during the prewar either.

I think even more than his contempt for wastelanders the real reason that he never opens the lucky 38 is the power aspect of it.

There aren't very many buildings on the pristine undamaged vegas strip and the building he occupies is the tallest building on the strip, a building that can be seen from almost any part of the wasteland and he keeps it completely closed to anyone but himself. It's basically letting everyone in the wasteland know that he considers them inferior to himself and that no one is worthy enough to enter his palace. He humiliated the families and the NCR by never allowing their leaders to enter his casino to deal with him "in person" he never engages in communication with them unless it's through a securitron and the communication is always one way (House contacts them to negotiate,they don't get to contact Mr.House). Even when the courier is admitted to the lucky 38, House makes it more than clear that he's not being admitted as an equal to House but as his employee who is being offered the chance to be Mr.House's stooge. Power to Mr.House is everything, it's not just about money, money was what he used to buy power- now his power is what he uses to maintain his dictatorial control, his luxury, and his wealth.

Imagine what houses snubbing of the NCR says to the wasteland "Even your most powerful faction is not worthy of meeting me on equal terms, I'm rich and I've got robots." but he knows he's on thin ice by sending out that message and if any side wins except his own he knows that it's over for him. --Boredintheusa 06:11, June 22, 2011 (UTC)


 * I think what's been writen above, including the Howard Hughes reference, is spot on. He can't afford to let the great unwashed mob of wastelands into his domain as who knows what shinnanegains they'll get upto once inside. Remember too he leaves to control his environment as evidenced by his obsession with the SnowGlobes. Small pristine and unchangable areas that are in the palm of his hand [well not anymore since his hooked up to a VR life support machine]. Its all about absolute control with House. His monochrome vision has no room for the new societies that have arisen since the great war. And as Cass says sadly at the end if House wins, "We're going full speed ahead, looking backwards all the way". He wants to bring back the prewar world and with that, will bring back the world that ultimately lead to the great war. He has't learned anything despite being a genius. He is too narcisstic and far too arrogant to admit things always change.

Captain Taipan 07:13, June 22, 2011 (UTC)

In my NCR-Good Karma playthrough I imagined the Courier to take over the Lucky 38, become obscenely wealthy and be appointed governor of the Mojave Territory. --NCRandproud123 00:28, October 28, 2011 (UTC)