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Las Vegas Shedding Family-Friendly Image

"But the show, like Las Vegas, is sailing off into another, altogether naughtier direction.

"...Treasure Island is not alone. Other Las Vegas hotels have added swinging adult clubs and risque revues to compete with a growing number of megasize strip clubs that are siphoning visitors and dollars away.

"The recently opened $30 million Sapphire Gentlemen's Club sits on seven acres and boasts marble floors and plasma televisions. It has 10 sky boxes that allow customers a sweeping view of about 40,000-square feet devoted to topless dancing.

"The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is airing four national commercials tantalizing would-be visitors with the not-so-subtle message that anything goes in Sin City.

"...`It's becoming a major theme. All of Vegas is grabbing onto the sex thing,' said University of Nevada at Las Vegas gambling professor Bill Thompson, who doesn't approve of the trend. `It could evolve into something that's ugly.'

"Las Vegas has never been Disneyland. Gamblers, mobsters and topless showgirls earned the city its reputation. But in recent years, a more family-friendly strain emerged.

"Circus-Circus gave the kids a place to play games while mom fed the slots and dad gambled at blackjack. Families found roller coasters, arcades, celebrity chefs, art galleries, even an amusement park amid the lights and lures.

"The trend toward cool and hip has paradoxically fueled the city's renewed interest in the lewd and lascivious: With more single men in their 20s and 30s swinging into town, there is greater demand for clubs where waitresses wear lingerie..."

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