Casino History Archives

Boulder Club (Las Vegas, NV) Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Any Place Will Do

1931 Using a gambling table as her dais, Canada-born evangelist, Mildred “Minnie” Kennedy, delivered fire and brimstone, revival-type sermons upstairs at the Boulder Club in Las Vegas from Aug. 23 to 30. A large sign…

107th Street Mob Casino History Drugs / Narcotics Gambling History Gambling: Shills Games / Races: Roulette Gaming History Helmuth Hartmann It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Reno Police Department--Nevada Law Enforcement / Judicial System: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation Nevada Palace Club (Reno, NV) Reno--Nevada United States

The Wanted Man of Mystery

1941 The man who played roulette in the Palace Club nearly every day for six months was noticeable for his suave appearance. Henry Helmut, age 47, had a bit of gray hair and sported a…

Casino History Cleveland's Mayfield Road Gang Desert Inn (Las Vegas, NV) Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling: Run Games / Races: Craps Geographical Areas Las Vegas--Nevada Moe Dalitz Moe Dalitz Nevada Quick Facts United States Wilbur Clark

Quick Fact - Beginners' Luck

1950 The $1.6 million Desert Inn resort had just opened in Las Vegas, and a gambling naif nearly put it out of business. A 22-year-old sailor, who didn’t know much about gambling, bet $1 on…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Firearms Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Murder / Killing Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Shooting Elite Club (Ely, Nevada) Ely--Nevada Gambling History Gaming History Goodsprings--Nevada It Really Happened Nevada Oberon Saloon (Sparks, NV) Pioneer Saloon (Goodsprings, NV) Sparks--Nevada United States

Men Quick to Fire in Gambling Clashes

1904, 1915, 1936 Against a backdrop of sagebrush and dust in Nevada’s early, remote mining towns, saloons drew men for drinking and gambling. That combination, along with contrarian/antagonistic personalities, sometimes led to disputes that turned…

Canada Casino History Did You Know? Fallsview Casino (Niagara Falls, Ontario) Gambling History Gaming History Niagara Falls--Ontario Quick Facts

Quick Fact - A Natural View

Today In Ontario, Canada, the appropriately named gambling resort — Fallsview Casino — overlooks Horseshoe Falls, one of the three gushing cascades that comprise Niagara Falls.

00 (Double-0) Saloon (Las Vegas, NV) Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Gambling Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Las Vegas Hotel (Las Vegas, NV) Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Nevada State Prison (Carson City, NV) Northern Saloon (Las Vegas, NV) Star (Las Vegas, NV) Turf (Las Vegas, NV) United States

Busted for Running Gambling in Nevada

1916 The year brought indictments in Las Vegas against individuals for violating Nevada’s anti-gambling statute, which was unusual because law enforcement generally ignored or poorly enforced it. Operating a gambling game then constituted a felony.…

Beldon Katleman Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Tax Evasion Did You Know? El Rancho Vegas (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission Las Vegas Strip / S. Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Shoddy Accounting

1956 When auditors for Nevada reviewed its books, they discovered the El Rancho casino on the Las Vegas Strip had underpaid the requisite gambling taxes over nine quarters by $39,000 ($350,500 today). Despite the claims…

Casino History Gambling History Gambling: Loss Games / Races: Craps Gaming History Harold S. Smith, Sr. Harolds Club (Reno, NV) It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Reno Police Department--Nevada Nevada Reno--Nevada United States

Blaming It On The Dice

1946-1947 On the third Tuesday of April 1946, after work at the Southern Pacific Shop in Sparks, Nevada, Sam Lemel took the bus to Reno and went to Harolds Club where he played craps. He…

Cannes--France Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling: Record Games / Races: Baccarat Gaming History Le Casino Municipal (Cannes, France) Quick Facts

Quick Fact - Baccarat Wagers Soar

1929 Le Casino Municipal in Cannes, France broke its record in January for the highest amount of money (in chips) in play at a baccarat table — $1 million ($14.3 million today). “Though individual bets…

Anti-Gambling / Anti-Casino Efforts Casino History Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada Politicians / Politics United States

Anti-Gambling Fraud: Intentional or Accidental?

1934 After Nevada legalized gambling in 1931, a faction opposed to the industry fought to have it eradicated. “A group of Nevada citizens felt there was a growing protest against the injury being done our…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling: Vote Gaming History Montana Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Montana Votes on Gambling

1941 Ten years after Nevada legalized gambling and shortened the residency requirement for divorce from six months to six weeks, Montana took steps to compete. Bills to legalize gambling and to allow 30-day divorces were…

Casino History Gambling Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: MT Judge Everton J. Conger Montana Politicians / Politics: U.S. President Chester A. Arthur United States

Montana Judge Punished for Legal Gambling

1883-1884 A gambling affinity, in part, did in Everton J. Conger’s career as associate justice of the Territory of Montana. President Chester A. Arthur suspended him in March 1883. Conger had served three years in…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling: Prizes Gaming History Harrah's (Reno, NV) Nevada Publicity Stunts / Promotions / Advertisements Quick Facts Reno--Nevada United States

Quick Fact - Shot at a Car

1972 Recognize these cars? A Pinto, Chevelle, Javelin and Datsun 240Z? Harrah’s hotel-casino in Reno, Nevada gave them away as well as cash in four weekly drawings for $35,000 worth of prizes ($205,000 today) over the…

Abner "Longie" Zwillman Casino History Clifford "Cliff" A. Jones Cuba Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations Gambling License Gaming History Golden Nugget (Las Vegas, NV) Haiti Hilton (Havana, Cuba) International Casino (Haiti) It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Lucky Strike (Las Vegas, NV) Meyer Lansky Nevada Palace Club (Las Vegas, NV) Politicians / Politics: NV Governor Grant Sawyer Thunderbird (Las Vegas, NV) United States

Vegas Gambler Defies Mandate

1959 In February, The New York Times outed Clifford A. Jones. It brought to light that he held gambling interests in and out of Nevada, which The Silver State’s gaming law then prohibited. It was…

Bakersfield--California California Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Savings at all Costs

1933 When panhandling in Bakersfield, California, an Arthur J. Hayden received 25 cents ($4.70 today), which he took to a casino and parlayed into $690 ($13,000 today). The next day he grew his winnings to…

California Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Robbery / Theft / Embezzling Folsom State Prison (CA) Gambler (Operators/Players): Estate Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened John Quinn Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Nevada Palace Club (Reno, NV) Reno--Nevada San Francisco--California United States

Gambler's Wealth Meets Undue Fate

1924-1932 The story of the estate of a long-ago Nevada gambler after his passing is strange and unfortunate. John Quinn was a man who’d lost and made large fortunes in gambling and mining stock deals…