Gambling Currency Archives

Casino History Gambling Currency: Tokens / Bingles Gambling History Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Gaming History Gilroy Roberts It Really Happened Nevada Rio Suite Hotel & Casino (Las Vegas, NV) The Franklin Mint Thunderbird (Las Vegas, NV) United States

Nevada Casino Dollar Tokens Quickly Become Hot Commodity

1965-1966 When Nevada’s casinos switched the form of currency accepted in their $1 slot machines to a token from the nearly extinct silver coin in 1965, it had an unexpected result. People around the world…

Casino History Fremont Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling Currency: Credit Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations: NV Statute of 9 Anne Gambling: Debt Gaming History Goldfield--Nevada It Really Happened J.E. Burke & Co. Las Vegas--Nevada Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Nevada Supreme Court Nevada Texas (Goldfield, NV) United States

Yesterday and Today: Collecting on Gambling Debts in Nevada

1864-1983 While being plied with endless, free whisky highballs,* Hamilton Buck played roulette for hours at the Texas gambling-saloon** in Goldfield, Nevada. Then, in 1908, the northwestern mining town was nearing the end of its…

Casino History Casinos / Gambling Saloons / Card Clubs / Slot Routes / Wire Services / Hotels / Racetracks / Racinos Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing: Pseudo Coins / Slugs Did You Know? Events: Seattle World's Fair / Century 21 Exposition Gambling Gambling Currency Gambling History Games / Races Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - The Right Size

1962 After the Seattle World’s Fair, or the Century 21 Exposition, the bronze coins used as trade dollars during that event appeared in slot machines throughout Nevada.

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Owning Gold Did You Know? Gambling Gambling Currency: Coins: Gold Gambling History Games / Races Games / Races: 21 / Blackjack Nevada Quick Facts Reno--Nevada United States

Quick Fact - Last to Hear

1940 “Apparently unaware that gold has been forbidden as a medium of exchange, a tall, dark complexioned cowpuncher walked into a [Reno, Nevada] gambling club last night and startled the dealer by casually dropping a…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling Currency: Coins: Brass Gambling History Gaming History Nevada Nevada State Prison (Carson City, NV) Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Brass in Pocket

1967 The month following closure of its on-site Bullpen casino, the Nevada State Prison sold the brass coins that inmates had used for decades (since 1932) for wagering and as currency. Sets, containing one coin…

Anti-Gambling / Anti-Casino Efforts California Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Gambling Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Gambling Did You Know? Gambling Gambling Currency: Coins Gambling History Gambling: Raids Games / Races Games / Races: Poker Gaming History Los Angeles-California Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Threefold Pettiness

1940 After some angry husbands in Los Angeles, California complained their wives were gambling away the grocery money, two vice squad officers raided the Monday night birthday party of Ann Dicker, a 73-year-old great-grandmother, at…

'49 Camp (San Francisco, CA) Boxers / Fight Promoters: James W. Coffroth California Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Gambling Events Events: Panama-Pacific International Exposition Events: Panama-Pacific International Exposition: '49 Camp (San Francisco, CA) Gambling Gambling Currency: Scrip Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations: CA Anti-Gambling Act Games / Races: 21 / Blackjack Games / Races: Craps Games / Races: Faro Games / Races: Roulette Games / Races: Wheel of Fortune Gaming History It Really Happened James W. Coffroth Samuel "Sam" P. Davis San Francisco--California United States

Gambling Trouble at World's Fair in San Francisco

1915 The ’49 Camp, one of the attractions at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, offered a gambling experience in which chips could be bought for money but cashed only for free-admission coupons for the other…

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…

Casino History Europe Gambling Gambling Currency: Dominoes Gambling Currency: Pebbles Gambling Currency: Wooden Cocks (Roosters) Gambling History Games / Races: Poker Games / Races: Roulette Gaming History It Really Happened Poland

Poland Seizes on Gambling

1913 During this year, the tail end of the second wave of massive Polish emigration, about 3.5 million people, primarily peasants from poor rural provinces, was taking place. Looming on the horizon was the outbreak…

Bank Club (Elko, NV) Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Robbery / Theft / Embezzling Did You Know? Elko--Nevada Gambling Currency: Coins Gambling History Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Elko Casino Targeted

1934 After hiding somewhere in the building, a person robbed the Bank Club casino’s safe of $500 in silver change (about $9,000 today) between 4 and 6 p.m. on a Wednesday in early December. This…

Caesars Palace (Las Vegas, NV) Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Currency: Credit Gambling History Gaming History Las Vegas Strip / S. Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Casino Credit Component

1970s Caesars Palace in Las Vegas extended $160 million in credit to players in 1977. This was more than the then-considered staggering $106 million cost of the original MGM Grand (early ’70s), also in Sin City, and…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing Did You Know? Gambling Currency: Chips Gambling Currency: Counterfeit Gambling History Las Vegas--Nevada Quick Facts Reno--Nevada United States

Quick Fact - Bogus Chips in Nevada

1947 John Clark Bosworth, of Reno, 47, was sentenced to 10 days in the local jail for playing with fake $25 chips in a Las Vegas casino. What do you think? Was this a light…

A.A. Baroni Anti-Gambling / Anti-Casino Efforts: Nevada Committee on Good Laws Block N (Reno, NV) Casino History Elite Cigar Store (Reno, NV) Gambling Gambling Currency Gambling Currency: Tokens / Bingles Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations Games / Races Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada NV) Overland Hotel (Reno, NV) Reno--Nevada Washoe Lunch Counter (Reno, NV)

The Truth Lies Within

1925 As of 1915, Nevada gambling law only allowed slot machines that discharged tokens, or bingles, exchangeable for on-site merchandise; those that paid out in money or bingles redeemable for currency were forbidden. “The fact…

Did You Know? Gambling Currency: Chewing Gum Gambling History Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Gaming History Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - BAR Symbol Origin

The BAR symbol commonly found in slot machines today evolved from the early 19th century logo of the Bell-Fruit Gum Company, whose fruit-flavored chewing gum was dispensed when the player won. The flavors were those…

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…

Alphonse "Al/Scarface" Capone Anthony "Tough Tony" Capezzio Chicago--Illinois Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Kidnapping Edward "Red" Meehan Edward P. Jones Gambling Gambling Currency: Coins Games / Races: Policy / Numbers George Jones It Really Happened Matt Capone Mexico Murray "The Hump"/"The Camel" Humphreys Ralph "Bottles" Capone Sam "Golf Bag" Hunt Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo United States

Gambling Czar Abduction Mystery

1946 Two brothers — Edward P. and George Jones — freely controlled Chicago, Illinois’ policy* racket for 25 years, beginning in the 1920s. As a result, the two raked in money, $10 to $30 million…