It Really Happened Archives

Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing Gambling Gambling Currency: Coins Gambling Currency: Coins: Brass Games / Races: 21 / Blackjack Games / Races: Panguingue Games / Races: Poker Games / Races: Roulette Games / Races: Tonk It Really Happened Nevada Nevada State Prison (Carson City, NV)

Gambling in the Pokey

1932-1967 Inmates strutted around the Nevada State Prison yard and jingled the brass coins or tokens, in their pockets, to boast their elevated status as winning gamblers of the pen. Beginning in 1932, convicts ran…

Casino, Gambling Saloon, Card Club Fronts / Workers / Bookmakers / Dealers Cuba Events: World War II Games / Races: Dog Racing Games / Races: Horse Racing It Really Happened Mexico Nevada United States

WWII: Impact on Nevada's Gambling

1944-1945 In the final year of World War II, three related mandates hampered Nevada’s gambling clubs, but, in general, casinos willingly withstood the hits out of a sense of patriotic duty. These directives, imposed by…

Gambling Currency: Coins Gambling Currency: Tokens / Bingles Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Commission Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board It Really Happened Nevada

Got Coins?

1965 The U.S. suffered a shortage of coins in 1965. And that led to decreased business for Nevada’s largest industry — gambling. Usage of half-dollars, common in casinos then for table games and one-armed bandits,…

Cal Vada (Lake Tahoe, NV) Cal-Neva Lodge (Lake Tahoe, NV) Games / Races: Bingo Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission It Really Happened Lake Tahoe--Nevada Nevada Ta-Neva-Ho (Crystal Bay , NV)

Casinos in Bingo Trouble

1954 A brouhaha over bingo made it a memorable year for gambling at Lake Tahoe. To lure as many tourists as possible into their casinos, numerous operators offered big-ticket prizes for winners at summer’s end…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing: Holdouts Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Murder / Killing Francis Leo Luckett Games / Races: 21 / Blackjack It Really Happened Nevada Reno--Nevada Tip Club (Reno, NV)

Ace of Spades Defeats Card Sharp

1930 Cheating at gambling in the early 20th century in Nevada could land a person in serious trouble. That’s exactly what happened to Francis Leo Luckett, 28. A Pennsylvania native, he’d been in Reno by…

It Really Happened

Official Launch Date

Each week, this blog will cover an intriguing gambling-related story of the past. The ongoing posts will feature crimes, celebrities, corruption, greed, mobsters, court cases, follies, laws and more. Please check back on Wednesday, May 13, 2015,…