Games / Races Archives

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling License Gambling: Prizes Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Games / Races: Tango Gaming History Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Bonus of Hosiery

1946 Some Las Vegas, Nevada casinos handed out women’s nylons as slot machine and tango game* prizes. When the city’s board of commissioners found out, they banned it, threatening repeat offenders with losing their gambling…

California Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Games / Races: Lice Fighting Gaming History Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Serious Boredom

1800s To amuse themselves, some miners — California ones, as reported in this case — staged lice fights and waged large sums on the outcome. They placed two Pediculus humanus face to face on a…

Casino History Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations: NV Anti-Lottery Law Games / Races: Lotteries/Sweepstakes Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada Politicians / Politics: NV Assemblyman Patrick Cline Politicians / Politics: NV Senator William A. Marsh United States

Nevada: Lottery Too Liberal

1937-1939 A ticket would cost $1 (about $17 today). A drawing would be held at least every 90 days, maybe monthly if demand was great enough, on the last Saturday night of the month. It…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Games / Races: Keno Gaming History KENO Radio Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - The Other Keno

1941 When Maxwell Kelch applied for call letters for his Las Vegas, Nevada radio station, he requested KLVN as a first choice and KENO as a second, certain the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approve a…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Games / Races: Burro Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Creature Game Creation

1962 How ’bout a game of Burro? Fred Carrier, a Stateline, Nevada accountant, developed a gambling game with this name, the concept for which came to him in a nightmare. Based on magnetism, it featured…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Debt Games / Races: Roulette Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts Rhyolite--Nevada Stock Exchange (Rhyolite, NV) United States

Quick Fact - Betting "The Farm"

1908 Johnny-Behind-the-Gat bet more than he should’ve. He was a prospector and miner said to have little common sense, a big temper and a penchant for using his weapon to solve disputes. John Cyty (his…

California Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations: CA Anti-Gambling Act Gambling: Debt Games / Races: Poker Gaming History It Really Happened Long Beach--California United States

Mega Poker Loss in California

1938 Esquire* Harry T. Clifton was a wealthy Englishman who owned racing stables and often visited Southern California. During his visit there in April 1938, he gambled with Lew Brice and Tommy Guinan in a…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Games / Races: Poker Gaming History Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts United States

Creepy Quick Fact - Stiff at Poker Game

1939 A Fred Martens, or “Fritz the Rooster,” sat at a table in a Las Vegas gambling house playing poker with some men. After a streak of bad luck, he seemed headed for a possible straight.…

Casino History Did You Know? Fan Tan (Reno, NV) Gambling History Games / Races: Pai Gow Gaming History Nevada New China Club (Reno, NV) Quick Facts Reno--Nevada United States

Quick Fact - Pai Gow's Nevada Debut

1967 After a demonstration of the game, Nevada gambling regulators, for the first time, allowed pai gow — a Chinese version of dominos — to be offered in its casinos. The clubs with pai gow,…

Casino History Casinos / Gambling Saloons / Card Clubs / Slot Routes / Wire Services / Hotels / Racetracks / Racinos Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations Gambling License Games / Races: 21 / Blackjack Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Nevada New Star (Winnemucca, CA) United States Winnemucca--Nevada

How Do I Cheat? Let Me Count the Ways (Part II)

1958-1959 (Part I ran last week. If you missed it, it’s available here.) The Nevada Tax Commission withdrew the gambling license of the New Star operators — Brent Mackie and Kenneth Henton — in July 1958…

Casino History Casinos / Gambling Saloons / Card Clubs / Slot Routes / Wire Services / Hotels / Racetracks / Racinos Commercial Hotel/Monte Carlo Casino (Elko, NV) Did You Know? Elko--Nevada Gambling History Games / Races Gaming History Nevada Newton Crumley Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - When All Else Fails … Wager

1925 Newton “Newt” Crumley, Sr., Goldfield, Nevada resident, met with William Doyle in September to discuss purchasing from him the Commercial Hotel in Elko, but they couldn’t agree on a price. Doyle wanted $5,000 more…

Brent Mackie Casino History Casino, Gambling Saloon, Card Club Fronts / Workers / Bookmakers / Dealers Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing Defense Attorneys: Thomas Foley Gambling History Gambling License Games / Races: 21 / Blackjack Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board: Fred Galster Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission: Robbins Cahill It Really Happened Kenneth Henton Nevada New Star (Winnemucca, CA) NV) Politicians / Politics: Robert F. Kennedy United States Winnemucca--Nevada

How Do I Cheat? Let Me Count the Ways (Part I)

1958 Casino workers at the New Star allegedly were caught in flagrante delicto. In April, a gambling detective — Michael MacDougall from New York — conducted a statewide, in-person survey of various gambling entities upon…

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

Quick Fact - In The Slot Machine’s Likeness

1960s-1970s More than a half-decade after the invention of the slot machine in 1887, liquor-filled decanters in their likeness became the rage, particularly at casinos. The version (in the photo), adorned with 24-carat gold, contained…

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…

California Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Robbery / Theft / Embezzling Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Gaming History Los Angeles-California Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Out of Time

1936 A thief took the trouble of entering a Los Angeles, California café through a skylight to rob the slot and marble games. But instead of getting the heck out after that was successful, he stayed…

Apache Hotel (Las Vegas, NV) Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel Casino History Continental Press Service (Chicago, IL) Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Extortion Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Robbery / Theft / Embezzling Dave Stearns Ed Margolis El Dorado Club (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling History Gambling: Race Wire Games / Races Games / Races: Horse Racing Gaming History Golden Nugget Race Wire (Las Vegas, NV) It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Clark County Sheriff Glen Jones--Nevada Laws: Federal Communications Act Meyer Lansky Moe Sedway Morris Rosen Nevada NV) Sam Stearns Santa Anita Turf Club (Las Vegas, NV) Sin City (Las Vegas) United States

Mysterious Horse Racing Broadcast

1948-1950 In between dispatch orders, a Las Vegas, Nevada taxi driver fleetingly picked up the announcement of horse racing information on his cab radio one day in mid-October, 1948. He informed Clark County Sheriff Glen…