United States Archives

California Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Bombings Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Extortion Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Washoe County Commission (NV) Harolds Club (Reno, NV) Harrah's (Reno, NV) It Really Happened John Ascuaga Nugget Motor Lodge / Dick Graves' Nugget / John Ascuaga's Nugget (Sparks, NV) Reno--Nevada Sparks--Nevada United States

Pay Up Or Blow Up — Reno/Sparks

1970-1971 In the summer of 1970, a package and suitcase found in a Sparks Nugget motor lodge room in Nevada with a note affixed saying to please deliver the items to Nugget owner John Ascuaga’s…

Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Tax Evasion Did You Know? Dunes (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling: Debt Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Internal Revenue Service Las Vegas Strip / S. Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Accounting Shift

1964 The Dunes in Las Vegas, Nevada switched from writing off unpaid IOUs to claiming them as income, allegedly to keep Internal Revenue Service agents from harassing its customers — asking guests in the hotel…

Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing Gambling Games / Races: Spindle It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada United States

Spindle Tricksters Clean Up

1906 A sextet of flimflammers arrived in Las Vegas, Nevada in December, set up at the corner of Main and Fremont Streets and began separating the locals from their money. ” … the spindle was…

Did You Know? Gambling Games / Races: Craps Quick Facts San Francisco--California United States

Quick Fact - Out Of The Loop

1895 When two small boys appeared in a San Francisco, California court for shooting craps, the arresting officer testified. Then this transpired: Judge: “Are you sure the boys were shooting craps?” Officer: “Of course, I…

Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Extortion Gambling License Games / Races: 21 / Blackjack Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission: Dudley Kline Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission: Robbins Cahill It Really Happened Leo Quilici United States Wells--Nevada

Scandal Hits Gambling Watchdogs

1953-1955 In fall 1953, John “Fat Jack” Galloway was playing the card game, 21, at Leo Quilici’s hotel-casino, the El Rancho Hotel, in Wells, Nevada. Fat Jack himself, in his early 40s, was the operator…

Castaways (Las Vegas, NV) Desert Inn (Las Vegas, NV) Did You Know? Frontier (Las Vegas, NV) Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Commission Howard Hughes Las Vegas Strip / S. Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas--Nevada Law Enforcement / Judicial System: U.S. Department of Justice Laws: U.S. Sherman Anti-Trust Act Nevada Quick Facts Sands (Las Vegas, NV) Silver Slipper (Las Vegas, NV) United States

Quick Fact - Road to Monopoly?

1968 Howard Hughes, billionaire industrialist, received the Nevada Gaming Commission’s blessing to buy the Stardust hotel-casino in Las Vegas, Nevada for $30.5 million and moved forward with the acquisition. He already owned five such properties…

California Embassy Club (Gardena, CA) Ernest "Ernie" J. Primm Gambling Gambling Laws / Regulations: CA Anti-Gambling Act Games / Races: Poker Gardena--California It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Monterey Club (Gardena, CA) Politicians / Politics: CA California Attorney General Ulysses Webb United States

Webb's Wacky War On Poker

1936-Present If it weren’t for gambler Ernest J. Primm’s nerve and fortitude, California’s nearly 90 card clubs wouldn’t exist today. With a gambling license from the city of Gardena (in Los Angeles County), he opened…

Australia Did You Know? Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Quick Facts United Kingdom United States

Quick Fact - Slots Semantics

Today In the U.S. we call them slot machines and one-armed bandits, but in Australia, they’re pokies and in the United Kingdom, fruit machines. Other names? Photo from freeimages.com: by Tijmen van Dobbenburgh

Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing Gambling Games / Races: 21 / Blackjack Games / Races: Poker Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Horseshoe Club / Binion's Gambling Hall & Hotel (Las Vegas, NV) It Really Happened The Ramada Hotel Casino (Reno, NV) United States Virginia City--Nevada

The Faro Fadeaway

1825-1958 The hottest game in the Old West between 1825 and 1915, faro is pretty much extinct in the United States today. If you’ve never heard of it — and you aren’t alone there —…