LAS VEGAS, 11:45 a.m. EDT June 25, 2001 -- Looks like the beleaguered Maxim is headed for closure again.

The hotel, located just off The Strip on Flamingo Road, closed briefly in 1999 after the owners slipped into bankruptcy. It reopened shortly afterward without a casino and has been limping along ever since. Now the workers have reportedly been given notice that they will be losing their jobs as of August when the hotel will close permanently. Attempts to get a buyer for the white elephant have been unsuccessful, forcing the current operators to close the doors.

'Cashless' Slots?

The future of slot machines is coming to The Strip in force as Park Place Entertainment, operators of Caesars, Flamingo, Bally's and Paris, have struck a deal with International Game Technology to purchase 15,000 "cashless" machines for their Vegas casinos. The so-called "EZ Pay" machines offer users the option to cash out their winnings in the form of a ticket that can be used in other EZ Pay machines just like currency or can be cashed in with casino personnel. The systems have been big hits at off-Strip casinos such as Terrible's and some of the Station casinos, but this will mark the first time they are making a big splash on Las Vegas Boulevard.

And all of you purists can relax. The machines will still pump out the coins if you prefer.

Mandalay Shopping Moves Forward

Mandalay Resorts made two big announcements last week. The first concerns their long-delayed shopping mall project. The 1.5 million square-foot mall has been sitting uncompleted on a bridge between Mandalay Bay and Luxor for more than two years after deals with Harrod's of London and Nordstroms fell through. Officials with the company have now announced the project will be going forward, although they have not indicated any major tenants for the massive shopping complex. Completion is expected by the end of 2002.

The second major announcement concerned their player's club. The company is starting the testing and roll-out phase of a new system that will track play and reward gamblers at all of its Vegas casinos, including Circus-Circus, Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay Bay and Monte Carlo. Full implementation of the system could occur before the end of the year.

This Week's Trivia Question

Q. When the Fremont Hotel was built downtown in 1956, their room tower was the tallest building in Nevada at that time. How many stories was the tower? (The Answer)

The weekly trivia question is brought to you by the Vegas4Visitors Online Memorabilia Museum.

The Full Story

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• Other Vegas News: Maxim Says Goodbye
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Coming Up Next Week

In the news: More new hotel, show and restaurant reviews.

In the Showrooms: George Carlin, Tim Conway & Harvey Korman, Don McLean and more.

Plus, don't forget to send me your questions about Las Vegas.  I've got room for more, so send them in today!

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Rick Garman is the head writer for Vegas4Visitors

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