Here’s a twist on the old gambler’s lament: When fate hands you lemons, make lemonade. The new one in Las Vegas can be: When your slot machine comes up lemons, make like a bulldozer!

The theme may also apply these days to Vegas construction companies. When the building boom slows down, invite tourists to pay to play with your bulldozers!

Instead of letting all that equipment sit around waiting for the economy to recover, builders have created another fun Las Vegas tourist activity. It’s called Dig This. Visitors can now try it along with the usual comedians, singers, dancers, helicopter rides to the Grand Canyon, ogling Boulder Dam and, of course gambling. Visitors to Dig This climb up into the cabs of mighty bulldozers and excavators and literally move mountains, or at least large piles of dirt and rocks. The fees go from about $210 for 90 minutes on a single machine to as much as $750 for an afternoon of doing it on several bulldozers and other giant movers.

For braver souls, Dig This also offers a "Dig and Destroy" combination. For up to $525, visitors can play with the  heavy machinery and then go on to a nearby shooting range. There, he or she can fire a sub-machine gun. The service is available to visitors 14 years of age and older. You can bet shooting can relieve some of the anger from depleting the family bank account at the casinos.

These packages and others are available at Dig This, at the former Scandia Amusement Park, 3012 S. Rancho Drive, Las Vegas NV 89102, (702) 222-4344, www.digthisvegas.com/