LAS VEGAS -- Did anyone else catch the Vegas edition of "Fear Factor"? The gross-out spectacular forces people of questionable sanity to perform a variety of physical and "mental" stunts for a $50,000 top prize. The 90-minute special was filmed in Vegas and featured people swinging from ropes high above the Fremont Street Experience; spinning the reels on a special Bally Gaming slot machine in a high-roller suite at Mandalay Bay to determine how many sheep, cow, and fish eyeballs they had to eat; and sliding down the outside of the Luxor pyramid while trying to grab flags along the way.

The winner, Greg Peters of Orlando, Fla., was then forced to bet half of his $50,000 prize on a single hand of blackjack. After a push at 18, Peters held fast on his second hand with 17 and watched in horror as the dealer flipped over her hold card to reveal a pair of queens. That's right, he ate eyeballs for only $25,000.

Of course, that slot machine got me to thinking, so I called up Bally Gaming and asked them if they had any plans to bring a "Fear Factor" slot machine to a casino near you. After all, the cow, sheep, and fish eye photos on the reels -- along with the barlike "Fear Factor" logo -- seemed to be a perfect match for the heavily themed machines on most casino floors.

Marcus Prater, vice president of marketing, had this to say: "While the idea of a permanent 'Fear Factor' slot machine has eye-popping possibilities, Bally Gaming wants our slot players to get big jackpots, not a big case of indigestion."

If you watched the show, you'll get that "eye popping possibilities" joke. If you didn't ... trust me, you don't want to know.

The Venetian is following in the footsteps of MGM-Mirage by preparing to open its own online casino. The Internet gambling site is based on Alderney, a small island in the English Channel that allows such things, although -- like MGM's Wagerworks -- it will only be available to people in jurisdictions where online gaming is legal. That excludes the United States for now, so most of you will have to keep your credit cards in your wallets.

The new Venetian Interactive site should be up and running in a couple of months.

No, I didn't win the Megabucks slot jackpot when I was in Vegas last weekend. I did contribute some additional money to the cause, and helped it break the $38 million mark as of this writing.

In case you heard the same rumors I did about a 20-year-old hitting the jackpot and having to give it back because he wasn't old enough to be gambling ... apparently it was just that: a rumor.

This Week's Trivia

Q: In honor of St. Patrick's Day ... On the front of which hotel would you have found a giant leprechaun named Mr. O'Lucky? ANSWER

The Weekly Trivia Question is sponsored by the Online Memorabilia Museum at Vegas4Visitors.com

The Full Story

• Driving Experience Offers Vegas Thrills
• 'Mamma Mia!' Offers Bubbly Fun
• Construction Moving Along In Vegas
• Other News: 'Fear Factor' In Vegas
• Vegas Q&A: Can I Buy High-Tech Slots?
• Vegas Q&A: Which Games Have Best Odds?

In Next Week's Column

Next week: The latest from Las Vegas.

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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