Did You Know? Archives

Casino History Did You Know? El Rey Club (Searchlight, NV) Gambling History Gaming History Quick Facts Searchlight--Nevada Willie Martello

Quick Fact - The Customer is an Ass

1947-1962 A wild burro sauntered into the popular gambling spot, the El Rey Club in Searchlight, Nevada at about 11 o’clock every morning. It approached the proprietor, Willie Martello, who always fed it something he…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Currency: Chips Gambling History Games / Races: Poker Gaming History Quick Facts Ships: American-Hawaiian Steamship Co. United States

Quick Fact - Hit Them in the Pocketbook

1913 During an era of reform in the United States, the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company tried to discourage gambling by raising the freight rate on poker chips transported from New York to the West Coast by…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Games / Races: Roulette Gaming History Harold S. Smith, Sr. Harolds Club (Reno, NV) Nevada Quick Facts Raymond A. Smith Reno--Nevada

Quick Fact - Mice and Men

1936 When brothers, Harold S. Smith, Sr. and Raymond A. Smith, opened a small casino called Harolds Club in Reno, Nevada, the main attraction was mouse roulette “where customers bet their small change on what…

Caesars Palace (Las Vegas, NV) Cal-Neva Lodge (Lake Tahoe, NV) Casino History Club Cal Neva (Reno, NV) Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Incline Village--Nevada Lake Tahoe--Nevada Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts Reno--Nevada Restaurants / Chefs: Denny's Restaurants Inc. United States

Quick Fact - Diners and Casinos?

1968-1969 Can you imagine if Denny’s was in Nevada’s casino business? Well, it nearly happened. In 1968 Denny’s Restaurants Inc. had reached an agreement to acquire Caesars Palace in Las Vegas but didn’t go through…

Casino History Chico Marx Commercial Hotel/Monte Carlo Casino (Elko, NV) Did You Know? Elko--Nevada Entertainment Gambling History Gaming History Lawrence Welk Nevada Newton Crumley Paul Whiteman Quick Facts Sophie Tucker Ted Lewis The Andrews Sisters United States

Quick Fact - Casino Trendsetter

1941 Nevada casinos are known for their big-name entertainment, and it all started in the city of Elko. In spring of 1941, Newton Crumley, owner of the Commercial Hotel and its Monte Carlo Casino,…

Did You Know? Gambling: Dice Quick Facts

Quick Fact - Chinese Dice Peculiarities

Today Chinese dice differ from traditional dice in two ways: • The spots for numbers 1 and 4 are painted red. • The number 1 spot is larger and more deeply etched than all others. Anyone…

Did You Know? Edie Adams Ernie Kovacs Gambling Games / Races: Poker Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - A Splurge For a Splurge

1954-1962 Each time her husband, Ernie Kovacs, lost big at poker, actress Edie Adams bought herself a chinchilla coat or antique harpsichord. When the bills for those purchases arrived, he’d say, “We can’t afford this!”…

Deadwood--South Dakota Did You Know? Leadville--Colorado Quick Facts Tombstone--Arizona

Quick Fact - Renowned U.S. Gambling Towns

1870s Three fledgling U.S. towns that boomed and evolved into gambling centers were: Deadwood, South Dakota, where Wild Bill Hickok was killed while playing poker, immortalizing “dead man’s hand” Leadville, Colorado, where Doc Holliday shot…

Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Tax Evasion Did You Know? Dunes (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling: Debt Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Internal Revenue Service Las Vegas Strip / S. Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Accounting Shift

1964 The Dunes in Las Vegas, Nevada switched from writing off unpaid IOUs to claiming them as income, allegedly to keep Internal Revenue Service agents from harassing its customers — asking guests in the hotel…

Did You Know? Gambling Games / Races: Craps Quick Facts San Francisco--California United States

Quick Fact - Out Of The Loop

1895 When two small boys appeared in a San Francisco, California court for shooting craps, the arresting officer testified. Then this transpired: Judge: “Are you sure the boys were shooting craps?” Officer: “Of course, I…