Vegas is an amoral city. This is not the same thing as an immoral city. Had Elvis never popped a pill, touched a drink, shot off a gun or ordered room service, no one here would have forced any of that on him. Now, two weeks from her job hosting the opening of the nightclub LAX at Luxor, Britney Spears may find Vegas the last town that has no interest in judging her. In fact, Vegas still wants to pay her to come play and party some more.

Putting out a record or arranging a tour requires a lot of investment and belief in the reliability of the star at the center. A lot less is at stake for a nightclub event. Even when things go wrong, it is usually all right. When Lindsay Lohan canceled her party at Pure at Caesars last month, the club got more attention as the hot spot in Vegas from the national media, as they  were speculating and reporting in the days before the cancellation, than if the event had gone off without a hitch. It turns out, for nightclubs in Las Vegas, having an erratic star in the house offers fantastic press, regardless of behavior: The more bizarre, the more widely reported, the better. It also keeps things interesting for the crowd. Take this example: Spears began her year by being carried out of Pure during a similar appearance. Was the club upset or concerned? Pure Management Group also runs LAX, where Spears is hosting the opening August 31. No matter what else is going on in her career, it is clear, Britney Spears will always have Vegas. Of course, in the long term, allowing your life to become an endless hang in Vegas did not go so well for Elvis.