former business partner of Bill Boyd, took over operations of the motel on May 12, 1976, and it was renamed that year as Klondike Inn. In 1976, Woodrum provided a power line to the nearby Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, which had not been lit for several years. The county later provided power to the sign. People frequently parked at the Klondike and ran across the street to take pictures of the Las Vegas welcome sign. The Klondike received a gaming license in 1982, and ultimately became known as the Klondike Hotel and Casino, while retaining the Klondike Inn name. The Klondike included a western theme, and was the first hotel-casino encountered by people travelling north on the Las Vegas Strip. The hotel contained 153 rooms, and the casino measured . The Klondike was popular among local residents and was known for its cheap restaurant specials and cheap gambling, while the hotel was popular for its low room rates. According to Woodrum, approximately 90 percent of the Klondike's customers were local residents. In its later years, the hotel's clientele included out-of-town construction workers. Bob Stupak, a longtime friend of Woodrum, was a frequent customer at the Klondike, as well as singer Tom Jones. By 1997, Woodrum had declined several offers to purchase the Klondike. At that time, the casino included five table games and 450 slot machines. In 2000, Woodrum stated that Clark County wanted to demolish aging motels on the southern Las Vegas Strip for new megaresorts. Regarding the Klondike, Woodrum said, "It's a little ragged and not what they'd like to see on Las Vegas Boulevard and I understand this. But there isn't one of us left that wouldn't fight until our last breath." In September 2004, Leroy's Horse & Sports Place began operating a sportsbook at the casino. In May 2005, Royal Palm Las Vegas LLC – a subsidiary of the Boca Raton-based Royal Palm Communities – bought 5.25 acres of land adjacent to the Klondike for $42 million. In September 2005, the Klondike and its 5.29 acres were sold to Royal Palm for $23.7 million, for a total of 10.5 acres. Woodrum acknowledged one reason for the sale being that the Klondike would not be able to compete with new, larger resorts. Another reason for the sale was the Klondike's rising property taxes, which had doubled in recent years. The Woodrum family continued to operate