Las Vegas–Nevada – Author/Blogger

Animated Casino History Character Manufacturing Co. Elko--Nevada Frank Polk Gambling History Gaming History Golden (Reno, NV) It Really Happened Las Vegas Club (Las Vegas, NV) Las Vegas--Nevada Mapes (Reno, NV) Nevada Nevada Club (Reno, NV) Reno--Nevada Stockmen's Hotel (Elko, NV) Sundance Cravat The Mint (Las Vegas, NV) United States

Reno Company Handcrafts Animated Slot Machines

1950-1956 A novel, animated gambling device began to appear in Nevada casinos in 1950. It debuted in the lobby of Reno’s Mapes hotel-casino in the fall and “got a big play from visiting Shriners,” reported…

Casino History Cheating / Fleecing Crimes / Violence / Punishments Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Holdouts Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - He Who Cheats First …

1938 During a preliminary hearing on the felony charge of using a cheating device while playing cards at a Las Vegas gambling house, Walter Eccles of Los Angeles explained that he’d used a holdout worn…

California Card Spying Casino History Charles "Chuck" J. Delmonico / Charles Tourine, Jr. Crimes / Violence / Punishments Debt Extortion Flamingo (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling Gambling History Gaming History High Rollers It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Lawsuit Marshall Caifano / Johnny Marshall Nevada Nicholas "Nick the Greek" A. Dandolos Palm Springs--California Poker Raymond "Ray" J. Ryan Thunderbird (Las Vegas, NV) United States

A Rare Case: High Roller Defies, Tattles on Mobsters

1963-1964 Mobsters Marshall Caifano (aka Johnny Marshall) and Charles Delmonico were arrested in Las Vegas on a federal warrant in July 1963 for conspiracy to commit extortion and engaging in interstate transportation in the aid…

21 / Blackjack African Americans Beverly Hills-California Chuck-a-luck Craps Faro Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Keno Landmark Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas, NV) Las Vegas--Nevada Madison--Wisconsin Mock Nevada Openings Roulette Royal Nevada (Las Vegas, NV) Slot Machines / Fruities U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation United States Virginia

Replicated Casinos: Who, Why, When and Where

1957, 1962, 1968, 1974 Over the years, entities around the world fashioned casinos for various educational and training purposes. Here are four that were based in the U.S.: 1) Instruction for Novice Players In 1957,…

Accidents Automobile Beverly Hills-California California Divorce / Annulment Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Lux (offshore, Southern CA) Meadows (Las Vegas, NV) Montmartre Club (Havana, Cuba) Nevada Rex (offshore, Southern CA) S.S. Rex (Las Vegas, NV) Stardust (Las Vegas, NV) Tony Cornero / Antonio Cornero Stralla United States

Shrouded in Mystery: Gambler Tony Cornero's Fleeting Marriage

1941 The brief union between Tony and Dorothy Stralla ended in a suspicious tragedy. Antonio Cornero Stralla was a colorful, law defying, Southern California rumrunner turned gambler. He was involved, most often as the owner/operator,…

Casino History Circus Circus (Las Vegas, NV) Crimes / Violence / Punishments Extortion Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Thunderbird (Las Vegas, NV) U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation United States

Pay Up Or Blow Up — Las Vegas

1972 In the mail on Monday, April 24, each of 21 Las Vegas hotel-casinos received an identical, typewritten letter that demanded they pay a total of $2 million (about $12 million today) or get blown…

Accidents Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Las Vegas--Nevada Lawsuit Lido de Paris Nevada Quick Facts Stardust (Las Vegas, NV) United States

Quick Fact - The Nude is Falling

1969-1971 Patron Alvin Glasky sat in the Stardust hotel-casino’s showroom in Las Vegas, Nevada, watching Lido de Paris on a Saturday evening in 1969. As one of the topless showgirls was being lowered from the…

Equipment Gambling Gambling History Games / Races Gaming History It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Lawsuit Nevada Ray Wherrit Revenue Slot Machines / Fruities Southern Nevada Vending Company Tax Evasion United States

Cashing In, Out on Slot Machine Route

1951-1954 In October 1951, Southern California resident, Wayne H. Teipel, responded to a “For Sale” ad in the Los Angeles Examiner for a slot machine, pinball game and phonograph route business in Las Vegas, Nevada.…

Accidents Caesars Palace (Las Vegas, NV) Casino History Did You Know? Flooding Gambling History Gaming History Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts Showboat Hotel (Las Vegas, NV) United States

Quick Fact - Floating the Showboat

1967 Ironically, considering the entity’s name, water poured inside the Showboat Hotel (later Castaways) when flash floods hit Las Vegas, Nevada on Tuesday, August 8. At 2800 E. Fremont Street, east of the city, the…

Boulder Club (Las Vegas, NV) Casino, Proposed City of Las Vegas (NV) Craps Exchange Club (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling History Gambling License Games / Races Gaming History It Really Happened Las Vegas Club (Las Vegas, NV) Las Vegas--Nevada Lawsuit Meadows (Las Vegas, NV) Nevada Northern Club (Las Vegas, NV) Northern Saloon (Las Vegas, NV) Red Rooster (Las Vegas, NV) United States

Lawsuit: It's Not Fair!

1931 Soon after Governor Fredrick “Fred” B. Balzar approved wide-open gambling for Nevada, three men applied for an initial gambling license from the City of Las Vegas to operate a craps game at Lorenzi’s Lake…

Casino History Did You Know? Equipment Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts Roulette United States

Quick Fact - Oops! They Don't Match

1931 After a brand new roulette setup was put in use at a Las Vegas, Nevada casino, it was discovered the number 28 was black on the wheel, as it should be, but red on…

21 / Blackjack Casino History Cheating / Fleecing Frontier (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling Gambling History Games / Races Gaming History Howard Hughes It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Nevada Gaming Commission Stacked Card Decks United States

Howard Hughes' Frontier Casino Becomes Guinea Pig

1968-1971 A couple and a third man approached a 21 table in the Frontier in Las Vegas, Nevada on a Monday afternoon. The husband, Douglas Anderson, distracted the dealer. In that moment, his wife, Beverly…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts Robbery / Theft / Embezzling The Westerner (Las Vegas, NV) United States

Quick Fact - Crossed Wires

1951 Upon entering The Westerner casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, an electrician told the guard he’d been dispatched to repair a boiler connection. After being admitted to the utility room, he produced a pistol and…

Bankruptcies Casino History Clifford Jones Club Cal-Neva (Reno, NV) Club Cal-Neva Inc. Earl Snyder Flamingo (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling History Gaming History Internal Revenue Service It Really Happened James "Jim" Contratto Joe Wells Las Vegas--Nevada Marion Hicks Nevada Reno--Nevada Saddle Club (Las Vegas, NV) Sanford Adler Shutdowns Silver Palace (Las Vegas, NV) Spinning Wheel Corporation Tahoe Biltmore (Crystal Bay, NV) Tax Evasion The Westerner (Las Vegas, NV) United States

IRS Swoops Down on Casino Cash

1955-1956 At 9:15 a.m. on Friday, November 11, 1955, eight U.S. IRS agents entered the Club Cal-Neva in Reno, Nevada, demanding payment of $65,000 (about $600,000 today) in overdue withholding and excise taxes. When the…

21 / Blackjack Assistance Devices Bob Bamford / Joe Alper California Casino History Creators / Manufacturers Desert Inn (Las Vegas, NV) Dunes (Las Vegas, NV) Flamingo (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling Gambling History Games / Races Gaming History It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Pasadena--California Sahara (Las Vegas, NV) Silver Slipper (Las Vegas, NV) United States

"Electronic Brain Upsets Vegas Blackjack Dealers"

1960 “Las Vegas seemed to be both fascinated and frightened by the little computing machine,” reported Ray Duncan in the Independent Star-News (Dec. 5, 1960). The referenced device, via a dial on its front, advised…