LAS VEGAS — Apart from being a mecca for gamblers, entertainers and those seeking one last fling before entering into matrimony, Las Vegas now sits at the white-hot center of the reality-based-TV industry.

Not counting the plethora of poker tournaments and travel-destination shows that air around-the-clock on cable, Sin City has provided a home to such docudrama series as "The Casino," "American Casino," "The Club," "Vegas Showgirls: Nearly Famous," "Taxicab Confessions," "Showgirls: Glitz and Angst," "Real World: Las Vegas" and, of course, "Cops," among others. Shows based on such real-life Las Vegas success stories as Wayne Newton, the Maloof Brothers (Palms Casino, Sacramento Kings) and the Hunt & Huntington tattoo artists also are on the boards.

Nevada tourism officials are behind the "Survivor"-like series "Nevada Passage," while the British export "Double or Nothing" reportedly is seeking Yanks willing to sell everything they own to finance a single-go-for-broke spin at the roulette wheel.

Tonight, one of the world's best-known resorts is opening its door to A&E in "Caesars 24/7." Next month, on Bravo, soft-core maestro Zalman King ("Red Shoe Diaries," "9½ Weeks") will document Ivan Kane's efforts to transplant his celebrity-rich L.A. striptease lounge to the capital-S Strip, in "Forty Deuce."

"The audience for all-things-Vegas seems insatiable," observes Discovery's Mark Finkelpearl, executive producer of "American Casino," which survived a mano-a-mano battle with Fox's "The Casino." "At Discovery, our prism is multifaceted: gaming, lifestyle, travel, leisure, opulence and sin. Las Vegas lends itself to an infinite number of possibilities."

The producers of "Caesars 24/7" got extraordinary access to the inner sanctum of the 2,400-room hotel and landmark casino. For its first 35 years of existence, the use of cameras was forbidden on the floor of the casino, but, suddenly, they were everywhere.

"Almost none of our high-end players allowed their faces to be shown," allowed floor supervisor Joe Comastro, one of the key players in the series. The TV producers "were very lucky to get what they did."

On TV "Caesars 24/7" premieres at 10 tonight on A&E.

Among the noteworthy things captured by A&E's hi-def cameras were such singular moments as watching a high-rolling singer from Miami, Mindy, hit three "0s" in one long session at the roulette wheel. The odds against that happening — while wagering $5,000 a roll — on camera are astronomical, yet it happened.

Mindy's great good luck couldn't prevent her from the reality of losing $60,000, however, before heading to the blackjack tables.

Hina Reed, director of slot development, had to rouse a camera crew from its single day off to chronicle the saga of a customer who hit the $500 Red White & Blue machine for a million-dollar payoff, then capture her trying to wrangle the Presidential Suite for the big winner. Oh, yeah, that customer also just happened to be a gentleman diagnosed with terminal cancer; even better, he returned to a $100 machine, where he grabbed another $70,000 of Caesars' money.

Although cameras weren't rolling when he hit the big jackpot, Caesars supplied video from the eye-in-the-sky surveillance cameras, verifying the achievement.

Another one of those too-good-to-be-true moments, however, actually was a bit too good to be true. It involved a hip-hopping panhandler who was encouraged to wager his meager earnings on the possibility of striking it rich at the blackjack tables. He busted out but was encouraged by the gorgeous dealer, Michelle Adams, to seek the counsel of the piano player in the lounge, who just happened to dig the lad's act and allowed him to perform.

Fact is, the kid did lose the money. But he did it at a $5-minimum table — as rare as hens' teeth at Caesars — to a dealer who was recruited from the high-limit pits, who hasn't dealt a $5 game in memory.

Made for great TV, though.

Over at the Forty Deuce, Kane admitted there were many stressful moments in the construction, budgetary and auditioning process when he wished the cameras weren't rolling. As an executive producer with "final cut" privileges, however, most won't see the light of day.

"Zalman is a very special artist, and he intuitively wouldn't let people come across as looking bad," said Kane, of his producing partner. "Still, I had to be willing to reveal my dark side. Without conflict, there's no drama, and, without drama, there's no television show."

Kane emphasizes that Forty Deuce, unlike dozens of other venues on and off the Strip, doesn't allow any nudity on its compact runway stage, and 65 percent of his customer base is women. There will be a "European version" of the show, in which some discreet backstage nudity will be aired, but American audiences will have to wait for the DVD package for the Full Monty.

Gary Dretzka: gdretzka@aol.com