Gaming History Archives

Casino de Monte-Carlo (Monaco) Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Bombings Did You Know? Events: World War II Gambling History Gaming History Monaco Quick Facts Ships: HMS Sickle

Quick Fact - Miss and Hit

1943 The British submarine, HMS Sickle, fired a succession of torpedoes during World War II, in May, sinking an enemy vessel in Cape Ferrat, southeastern France. But one of the missiles hit a cliff in…

British Royals: Edward VIII, Prince of Wales British Royals: Prince George, Duke of Kent Casino History Casino Municipal de Viña del Mar (Viña del Mar, Chile) Casino: Openings Chile Gambling Gambling History Games / Races: Baccarat Games / Races: Roulette Gaming History It Really Happened Viña del Mar--Chile

Chancy Chaps Champion Chilean Casino

1928-Today Members of English royalty unwittingly helped launch a new South American casino toward success in the 1930s. After Chilean President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo, in 1928, authorized creation of a gambling house, Viña del…

Casino History Casino: Stock Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Commission Jerry's Nugget (North Las Vegas, NV) Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Taking Stock

1974 The Nevada Gaming Commission, the industry’s state regulatory body, amended regulations to allow employees to own stock in a casino where they worked, without having to get a gambling license, a process that involved…

Bank Club (Reno, NV) Cal-Neva Lodge (Lake Tahoe, NV) Casino History Country Club (Reno, NV) Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Gambling Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Grafting Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Harassment / Intimidation Elmer "Bones" F. Remmer Gambling History Gaming History George Wingfield Haymarket (Reno, NV) It Really Happened Jack Sullivan / John D. Scarlett James "Jim/Cinch" C. McKay Monte Carlo (Reno, NV) Nathan "Nick" Abelman Nevada Reno--Nevada The Big Casino (Tonopah, NV) United States William "Bill/Curly" J. Graham Willows (Reno, NV)

Mob That Controlled Early Reno Gambling: Who, How

1920s-1930s Presumably to gain money, power and notoriety, two men controlled gambling in Reno, Nevada during the 1920s and 1930s through violence, payoffs, intimidation, threats and other gangster techniques. The industry mostly was illegal, with…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts Reno--Nevada United States

Quick Fact - Curiosity Trumps Motherhood

1931 When a Southern Pacific train stopped in Reno on a Friday in May at about 9:15 p.m., four passengers disembarked to squeeze in, before continuing on, a glance at gambling, which Nevada recently had…

Anti-Gambling / Anti-Casino Efforts Arizona Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Raids Gambling: War Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Maricopa County Attorney John W. Corbin--Arizona Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Maricopa County Justice of the Peace Harry E. Westfall--Arizona Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Maricopa County Sheriff Roy Merrill--Arizona Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Maricopa County Sheriff's Deputy Porter Northroup--Arizona Maricopa County--Arizona Phoenix--Arizona United States

Illegal Gambling Conspiracy in Maricopa County

1937-1938 Within a year of becoming the Maricopa County Attorney, John W. Corbin began work to expose the illegal gambling taking place in the Arizona region. He set his sights on busting the game operators and…

Bobbie Gentry Casino History Did You Know? Divorce / Annulment Gambling History Gaming History Harrah's (Reno, NV) Harrah's Lake Tahoe (Stateline, NV) Nevada Quick Facts Reno--Nevada United States William "Bill" F. Harrah

Quick Fact - Third Time's A ... Gamble

1969-1970 Casino magnate, William “Bill” F. Harrah, 58, married country artist, Bobbie Gentry, 27, in St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Reno, Nevada on December 18, 1969 with only members of the wedding party present. The…

Casino History Gambling History Gambling License Gambling: Fines Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Commission Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas, NV) It Really Happened Las Vegas Strip / S. Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Ralph Engelstad United States

Casino Owner's Offense Embarrasses Nevada

1988-1989 Tipped off by the contents of various lawsuits and complaints by employees, Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) agents raided the Imperial Palace Hotel and Casino* on September 27, 1988. The 2,700-room property located on…

Boulder Club (Las Vegas, NV) Casino History Clara Bow Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Robbery / Theft / Embezzling Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling: Debt Gaming History Las Vegas--Nevada Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Louis Cornero Meadows (Las Vegas, NV) Nevada Quick Facts Rex Bell Tony Cornero / Antonio Cornero Stralla United States

Quick Fact - The Hard Way or the Easy Way

1931-1932 Actors Clara Bow and Rex Bell gambled at the Meadows in Las Vegas in summer 1931 and racked up a $1,100 loss (about $18,000 today), for which they left an IOU. By December, the…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Tax Evasion Gambling History Gambling License Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Internal Revenue Service Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Commission Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board Harvey A. Gross It Really Happened Lake Tahoe--Nevada Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Nevada Stateline--Nevada United States Wagon Wheel Saloon and Gambling Hall / Harvey's Wagon Wheel / Harvey's Resort Hotel (Stateline, NV)

8 Twists in Tahoe Gambler's Court Case

1957-1960 In June 1957, a federal grand jury secretly indicted the owners of the Wagon Wheel Saloon and Gambling Hall (Harvey’s today) at Lake Tahoe in Stateline, Nevada — Harvey A. Gross, and his wife, Llewellyn…

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

Quick Fact - Desert Getaway

1961 This ad for the El Rey Club invited people to escape one sunny desert town (Palm Springs, California) for another (Searchlight, Nevada), as the enticement ran in the former’s newspaper, The Desert Sun. Owner Willie Martello began…