Gambling Archives

Casino History Gambling Games / Races: Sports Betting Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada Politicians / Politics: U.S. Senator (NV) Patrick "Pat" A. McCarran Reno--Nevada Sports Teams Sports Teams: University of Nevada Wolf Pack United States

Accusation: The Fix is In!

1948 The November 22, 1948 issue of Sports-Week roiled Nevada Wolf Pack fans and supporters. Array of Allegations An article in that edition of the nationally circulated digest charged that the University of Nevada* (UN)…

"Razzle Dazzle: The Elaine Townsend Story" Casino History Casino: Financings Connie Immerman Cuba Elaine Townsend Gambling History Gambling: Concessions Games / Races: Chemin de Fer Games / Races: Craps Gaming History Gran Casino Nacional (Havana, Cuba) Havana--Cuba It Really Happened Mobsters / Gangsters / Syndicate Members (Alleged) / Organizations

Woman Usurps Mobsters' Gaming Action

1947-1952 Despite New York mobsters trying to scare her off, an ambitious woman — Elaine Townsend (née Margaret Helgeson) — held her own as a gambling operator in the late 1940s. Bright, young and gorgeous, she…

Artists / Designers: Pierre de Régnier (aka Tigre) Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Art Games / Races: Baccarat Gaming History Nice--France Quick Facts

Quick Fact - Depiction of French Gamblers

1931 The Big Baccarat Table in Nice (France) was sketched by cartoonist, Pierre de Régnier, aka Tigre (1898-1943), and ran in newspapers with this description: “From left to right: Mme. Ephrussi, the French multimillionaire widow…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Murder / Killing Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Tax Evasion Dallas--Texas Gambling Gambling History Games / Races: Poker Gaming History Horseshoe Club / Binion's Gambling Hall & Hotel (Las Vegas, NV) It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Law Enforcement / Judicial System: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation Lester "Benny" Binion Meyer Lansky Mobsters / Gangsters / Syndicate Members (Alleged) / Organizations Moe Dalitz Nevada United States

10 Intriguing Facts About Gambling Kingpin "Benny" Binion

Although Texas-born Lester B. “Benny” Binion (1904-1989) no longer is with us, he remains a legend among Las Vegas casino owners and operators — gamblers, in industry parlance. Iconic even in his appearance — large…

Casino History Gambling History Gambling: Parimutuel Games / Races: Greyhound Races Games / Races: Midget Car Races Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada Reno--Nevada United States

Experiments in Parimutuel Wagering

1937-1938 In each of two consecutive summers, Northern Nevadans experienced on-site, parimutuel* betting on new types of organized races locally: first, midget car in 1937 and greyhound (the dog, not the bus) in 1938. The…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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,…