Nevada Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony touts state as a haven for entrepreneurs, entertainment

Nevada Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony has an unconventional plan to revitalize the Silver State’s entertainment industry: space tourism; Since Elon Musk has significant business interests in the state, he won’t have to look far to find the man to do it.

Anthony’s background was anything but boring: he had a nearly three-decade career in law enforcement, was a regent of the state’s higher education system, and served as a longtime Las Vegas city councilman.

He ran a spirited campaign for mayor of Las Vegas and has been leading the Silver State alongside Gov. Joe Lombardo since 2022. The Lombardo/Anthony ticket was the only ticket in America in which Republicans defeated the incumbent Democratic governor and lieutenant governor.

Recently, Anthony sat down with Fox News Digital at FreedomFest in Las Vegas to discuss his career, the Nevada economy and his election prospects in 2026, which is shaping up to be one of the toughest gubernatorial races in the country.

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Anthony promotes the state as a Mecca for the entertainment industry, advertising a light regulatory touch and a thriving environment for entrepreneurship. He is particularly optimistic about professional sports and the emerging space tourism industry.

“If you look back 10 years ago, we didn’t have a single major sporting event in Nevada. In fact, they wouldn’t come here because they thought there would be illegal gambling, corruption, bribery, etc. Within 10 years, we became the sports capital of the world. Baseball is coming. We have hockey. We have football. We’ll have basketball, too. F1. We have NASCAR, women’s basketball and so on, and it just came out of nowhere.

“Anything can happen in Las Vegas, so it’s not up to me as lieutenant governor to decide what the next big thing in tourism is going to be. It’s the tourism industry that has to decide what the next big thing is going to be.”

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“One of the things that’s attracting interest is space tourism. I think that could be a future in Nevada because we have a lot of open land where someone like Elon Musk can launch a rocket into space, hang out there for a while, have some drinks. Hang out with friends.”

“What an experience it would be to see the world from above and turn it into a touristic adventure. So these are the kinds of things we think about all the time, but it’s the private sector that needs to do it and I’m all for letting our entrepreneurs find the next best thing and supporting them.”

Elon Musk speaks at the Viva Technology conference focusing on innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris on June 16, 2023. (Chesnot/Getty Images)

Anthony credits his long career with the Las Vegas Metro Police for providing him with the problem-solving foundation to launch a successful political career.

“You know, most people think about the policing they see on TV. High-speed chases, gunfights, bar fights, chasing people down dark alleys and arresting serious criminals. And that’s a big part of policing. But really, 90% of the job of the police is to actually solve problems. Go into neighborhoods, find out what the problems are in those neighborhoods, help neighbors solve their problems to make their quality of life a lot better.”

“I learned that that’s actually what I’m supposed to do as an elected official. My job is to go out there and talk to people and learn what government can do, what a county can do, what a city can do to make their lives better: to help people live the American dream and not cause problems like higher taxes, higher regulations, getting in the way, that kind of thing. That’s what I’ve really learned about police work.”

Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo speaks on stage following a parade celebrating Bruno Mars’ impact on Las Vegas entertainment at Toshiba Plaza on April 10, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images for MGM Resorts)

President Trump has endorsed the Lombardo/Anthony proposal and believes the new tip tax-free policy will provide a significant electoral boost in November.

“Well, President Trump has endorsed the governor. President Trump has endorsed me. He was here just a few months ago to talk about not taxing tips, which was a huge deal in Nevada.”

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“I think President Trump will be here. He’s always welcome to come to the great state of Nevada and talk to people in Nevada. When he was campaigning, he would hold events that would draw 5,000 or 6,000 people. So we have a good relationship with him. We want to build a relationship with him, and I believe he’ll be here to talk about some of the great things his administration has done, not just in the country but in terms of how it’s positively impacted Nevada.”

President Donald Trump speaks about the economy at an event at Circa Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Finally, Anthony notes that his political philosophy was largely shaped by his Cypriot immigrant parents, who instilled values ​​of hard work, self-reliance, and financial responsibility.

“When they came to the United States and had nothing, all they could do was get a job, get married, and start a family… number one: you work hard.

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“Number two: you don’t want anything from the government. You want them to protect you, you want the roads. But you don’t ask them for welfare, you don’t want unemployment checks, you don’t want food stamps. So this wasn’t something they thought the government would do.”

“Their responsibility was to work hard, raise a family, buy a home and live the American dream. That taught me a lot. That’s how I continued my public service. I’m here to support Nevadans the way they want support, but I’m not here to carry them. They need to carry themselves, and I think they understand that.”