Casino History Archives

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Assaults Did You Know? Ely--Nevada Gambling History Gambling: Equipment Games / Races: Bowling Machine Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Not What I Wanted to Hear

1954 Arthur R. Schultz of Ely, Nevada, who’ previously had held a gambling license for slot machines, asked then District Attorney of White Pine County, Jon R. Collins, to rule on whether or not a…

Beldon Katleman Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel Boulder Club (Las Vegas, NV) Casino History Club Savoy (Las Vegas, NV) El Cortez (Las Vegas, NV) El Dorado Club (Las Vegas, NV) El Rancho Vegas (Las Vegas, NV) Flamingo (Las Vegas, NV) Fremont Street--Las Vegas Frontier Club (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling History Gambling: War Gaming History Golden Nugget (Las Vegas, NV) Gus Greenbaum It Really Happened Las Vegas Club (Las Vegas, NV) Las Vegas Strip / S. Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas--Nevada Last Frontier (Las Vegas, NV) Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Clark County Sheriff Glen Jones--Nevada Meyer Lansky Monte Carlo (Las Vegas, NV) Nevada Pioneer Club (Las Vegas, NV) Santa Anita Turf Club (Las Vegas, NV) Sin City (Las Vegas) United States Western Club (Las Vegas, NV) William J. Moore

Alleged Vegas Gambling War Brews

1949 The article, “Las Vegas Gamblers Arming in Control Battle,” ran on the front page of a Los Angeles newspaper in the third week of December, to the chagrin of Nevada gambling regulators, casino owners,…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations: Nevada's Black Book / Excluded Person List Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Commission Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Excluded Persons

1975-1976 Nevada’s infamous “Black Book,” which contains information about the unsavory individuals who are banned from casinos, still exists today but under a different moniker. In 1975, citizen Beni Casselle expressed to the state gaming…

Artists / Designers: Edvard Munch Artists / Designers: Georges "Sem" Goursat Artists / Designers: Jean-Georges Beraud Camille Blanc Casino de Monte-Carlo (Monaco) Casino History Francois Blanc Gambling History Gambling: Art Gaming History It Really Happened Monaco Rene Leon

3 Depictions: Gambling at Monte Carlo

1890-1910 The heyday of the Monte Carlo casino resort in Monaco was The Roaring Twenties, but that was due in large part to the solid foundation laid by François Blanc decades earlier, who stepped in…

Andrew Jackson "Jack" Blackman Bank Club (Reno, NV) Casino History Casino, Gambling Saloon, Card Club, Slot Route Owners / Operators / Licensees / Gamblers Casinos / Gambling Saloons / Card Clubs / Slot Routes / Wire Services / Hotels / Racetracks / Racinos Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Shooting Folsom State Prison (CA) Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Nevada Reno--Nevada San Quentin State Prison (CA) Town House (Reno, NV) United States

Shakedown in Reno Escalates (Part 2)

1944-1945 The trial of Andrew Jackson “Jack” Blackman, free on $10,000 bail, began in April 1945, six months after he’d fatally shot James Lannigan in the Bank Club in Reno, Nevada. District Attorney Melvin E. Jepson, in…

Andrew Jackson "Jack" Blackman Bank Club (Reno, NV) Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Shooting Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada Reno--Nevada Ta-Neva-Ho (Crystal Bay , NV) Town House (Reno, NV) United States Walter Parman

Shakedown in Reno Escalates (Part 1)

1944-1945 A thug’s confrontation of a casino owner on October 30, 1944 radically altered both of their lives. Andrew Jackson “Jack” Blackman, co-proprietor of the Town House gambling saloon* in Reno, left his business for…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling Currency: Canteen Coupons Gambling History Gaming History Iowa Iowa State Penitentiary Quick Facts

Quick Fact - Clink Gambling

1936 To better understand the experience, Judge Harry D. Landis of Seward, Nebraska purposefully spent 10 summer days, undercover as an inmate, in the Iowa State Penitentiary (since closed). After, when he publicly reported his assessment…

Bahamas Casino History Casinos / Gambling Saloons / Card Clubs / Slot Routes / Wire Services / Hotels / Racetracks / Racinos Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Skimming Cuba England Flamingo (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Haiti Israel It Really Happened Lebanon Meyer Lansky Miami Beach--Florida United States

Mobster Meyer Lansky Tries to Desert USA

1970-1972 Meyer Lansky was the puppeteer behind the scenes of the world’s gambling stage from the 1930s to the 1970s, controlling and manipulating the characters, or National Crime Syndicate members, with aplomb. He capitalized on…

Anti-Gambling / Anti-Casino Efforts California Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Gambling Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Los Angeles Chief of Police Charles E. Sebastian Los Angeles-California Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Vice Crusade Tactic

1913 As what the Los Angeles Times called the “the first sally in the greatest campaign that has ever been waged for the elimination of gambling” (April 7, 1913), Los Angeles Chief of Police Charles…

Bartley "Bart" J. Smithson Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Murder / Killing Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Shooting Ely--Nevada Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Officer Herbert "Burt" D. Long Nevada Nevada State Prison (Carson City, NV) NV) Palace Club (Ely, NV) United States

Gambler Destroys the Peace … Officer

1932 At about 4:30 on a Sunday morning, a drunk Bartley “Bart” J. Smithson was target practicing in the Palace Club, shooting at a spittoon and a silver dollar with a 0.38 Smith & Wesson…

Australia Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Games / Races: Two-Up Gaming History Quick Facts

Quick Fact – Popular in Australia

1850s-Today Tuesday, April 25, Australians will be spotted throughout the local pubs playing Two-Up. Anzac Day, when military war veterans are honored, is the only time this game of chance is allowed legally. Two-Up is…

Anti-Gambling / Anti-Casino Efforts California Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Bucket Shopping Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit San Francisco--California

Bucket Shopper's Dogged Fight

1911-1912 A San Francisco, California ordinance outlawed bucket shopping in 1911 — no longer was running or visiting such an enterprise legal — and one operator didn’t like it. Henry A. Moss, a bucket shop owner and…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Murder / Killing Gambling History Gaming History Harrah's Lake Tahoe (Stateline, NV) It Really Happened Lake Tahoe--Nevada Law Enforcement / Judicial System: El Dorado County Sheriff Ernest Carlson--California Nevada Stateline--Nevada

Murder Mystery at South Shore

1958-1959 Clarence Thayer grew ill with flu-like symptoms on Thanksgiving Day in 1958 while visiting his sister in Oakland, California. He was a well drilling contractor who lived in South Lake Tahoe. He and his…

Casino History Casinos / Gambling Saloons / Card Clubs / Slot Routes / Wire Services / Hotels / Racetracks / Racinos Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts Reno--Nevada United States

Quick Fact - Staying Put

1956 She wouldn’t budge. C. Johnson was playing a slot machine from a stool that was blocking the aisle in a downtown Reno, Nevada casino. When employees asked the Oakland, California resident to please shift…

Casino History Charles Mapes Events: Daylight Saving Time Gambling History Gambling: Revenue Gaming History Harolds Club (Reno, NV) It Really Happened Mapes (Reno, NV) Nevada Politicians / Politics: NV Governor Vail Pittman Raymond "Pappy" I. Smith United States

Gamblers Oppose Daylight Saving Time

1949 Casino owners balked when the question of going on daylight saving time (DST) arose in Nevada in 1949. Gamblers’ Outcries Charles Mapes, owner of the Mapes hotel-casino in Reno, made a few arguments: •…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Gambling Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Dice Gaming History Quick Facts United States Washington

Quick Fact - Evidence? What Evidence?

1934 When police raided an illegal gambling den in Kingston, Washington, one of the players present, Raymond Johnson, swallowed the dice. In court after his arrest, the judge gave him 30 days to “digest” and…