gambling history Archives

Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel Casino History Casino International (Havana, Cuba) Clifford "Cliff" A. Jones Cuba Desert Inn (Las Vegas, NV) Fremont Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Hilton (Havana, Cuba) Hy Abrams It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Moe Dalitz Morris Kleinmann Nacional (Havana, Cuba) Politicians / Politics: Cuba President Fulgencia Batista Riviera (Havana, Cuba) Thomas McGinty Thunderbird (Las Vegas, NV) United States Wilbur Clark

Cuban Casino Push

1952–1958 When Fulgencio Batista returned to power as president in Cuba in 1952, he aimed to foster a gambling empire from which he could generate revenue for his coffers. To facilitate casino development, he and…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Currency: Chips Gambling History Games / Races: Poker Gaming History Quick Facts Ships: American-Hawaiian Steamship Co. United States

Quick Fact - Hit Them in the Pocketbook

1913 During an era of reform in the United States, the American-Hawaiian Steamship Company tried to discourage gambling by raising the freight rate on poker chips transported from New York to the West Coast by…

Casino History Casinos / Gambling Saloons / Card Clubs / Slot Routes / Wire Services / Hotels / Racetracks / Racinos Dick Graves Gambling History Gambling: Art: Golden Rooster Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Nugget Motor Lodge / Dick Graves' Nugget / John Ascuaga's Nugget (Sparks, NV) Sparks--Nevada United States

Golden Rooster: Advertising or Art?

1957-1962 Perhaps it was a bird-brained idea, perhaps not. In 1957, Dick Graves, the owner of the Nugget, in Sparks, Nevada, commissioned a handcrafted, solid gold rooster for display in one of his hotel-casino restaurants,…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Games / Races: Roulette Gaming History Harold S. Smith, Sr. Harolds Club (Reno, NV) Nevada Quick Facts Raymond A. Smith Reno--Nevada

Quick Fact - Mice and Men

1936 When brothers, Harold S. Smith, Sr. and Raymond A. Smith, opened a small casino called Harolds Club in Reno, Nevada, the main attraction was mouse roulette “where customers bet their small change on what…

Casino History Desert Inn (Las Vegas, NV) El Rancho Vegas (Las Vegas, NV) Flamingo (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission: Ray Warren Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission: Robbins Cahill It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Last Frontier (Las Vegas, NV) Phoenix--Arizona Politicians / Politics: Kefauver Committee Politicians / Politics: U.S. Senator (TN) Estes Kefauver Thunderbird (Las Vegas, NV)

Public Relations Nightmare for Nevada Gambling

1951-1952 Gambling boomed in Las Vegas, Nevada immediately following Senator Estes Kefauver and his committee’s nationwide investigation into organized crime. The 27 hearings the group conducted in 14 United States cities in 1950 and 1951…

Caesars Palace (Las Vegas, NV) Cal-Neva Lodge (Lake Tahoe, NV) Casino History Club Cal Neva (Reno, NV) Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Incline Village--Nevada Lake Tahoe--Nevada Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts Reno--Nevada Restaurants / Chefs: Denny's Restaurants Inc. United States

Quick Fact - Diners and Casinos?

1968-1969 Can you imagine if Denny’s was in Nevada’s casino business? Well, it nearly happened. In 1968 Denny’s Restaurants Inc. had reached an agreement to acquire Caesars Palace in Las Vegas but didn’t go through…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing Gambling Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations Gambling Laws / Regulations: U.S. Act to Prohibit Bucketing and Bucket Shopping Gambling: Bucket Shopping Games / Races: Commodities Gaming History It Really Happened Politicians / Politics: U.S. President William Taft United States

Bucket Shopping: A Species of Gambling

1870s-1920s “I want to go short 1,000 bushels of December wheat, 1 cent on the bushel.” This $10 bet was typical back in the heyday of bucket shops in the United States, between 1870 and…

Casino History Chico Marx Commercial Hotel/Monte Carlo Casino (Elko, NV) Did You Know? Elko--Nevada Entertainment Gambling History Gaming History Lawrence Welk Nevada Newton Crumley Paul Whiteman Quick Facts Sophie Tucker Ted Lewis The Andrews Sisters United States

Quick Fact - Casino Trendsetter

1941 Nevada casinos are known for their big-name entertainment, and it all started in the city of Elko. In spring of 1941, Newton Crumley, owner of the Commercial Hotel and its Monte Carlo Casino,…

Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Shooting It Really Happened James Mann / Bernard Louvre Saloon (Goldfield, NV) Oberon (Reno, NV) Reno--Nevada United States Wieland Saloon (Reno, NV)

Gambler's Drunken Stupidity

1904-1905 Criminal drama occurred between two men late one November morning in the Wieland saloon in Reno, Nevada in 1904. James Mann, a Wyoming man who sometimes worked in Silver State gambling clubs — the Louvre…

Did You Know? Gambling: Dice Quick Facts

Quick Fact - Chinese Dice Peculiarities

Today Chinese dice differ from traditional dice in two ways: • The spots for numbers 1 and 4 are painted red. • The number 1 spot is larger and more deeply etched than all others. Anyone…

Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing Gambling Games / Races: Keno Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board: Ed Olsen It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Nevada Club (Las Vegas, NV) Robert Van Santen United States

Bilking of Vegas' Nevada Club

1961-1966 Early in 1961, Michael Catrone, 60, an apartment complex owner, presented to the Nevada Club in Las Vegas, Nevada a winning keno ticket for $25,000 ($198,000 today). Yet the casino’s general manager didn’t pay…

Did You Know? Edie Adams Ernie Kovacs Gambling Games / Races: Poker Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - A Splurge For a Splurge

1954-1962 Each time her husband, Ernie Kovacs, lost big at poker, actress Edie Adams bought herself a chinchilla coat or antique harpsichord. When the bills for those purchases arrived, he’d say, “We can’t afford this!”…

Alphonse "Al/Scarface" Capone Anthony "Tough Tony" Capezzio Chicago--Illinois Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Kidnapping Edward "Red" Meehan Edward P. Jones Gambling Gambling Currency: Coins Games / Races: Policy / Numbers George Jones It Really Happened Matt Capone Mexico Murray "The Hump"/"The Camel" Humphreys Ralph "Bottles" Capone Sam "Golf Bag" Hunt Tony "Joe Batters" Accardo United States

Gambling Czar Abduction Mystery

1946 Two brothers — Edward P. and George Jones — freely controlled Chicago, Illinois’ policy* racket for 25 years, beginning in the 1920s. As a result, the two raked in money, $10 to $30 million…

Deadwood--South Dakota Did You Know? Leadville--Colorado Quick Facts Tombstone--Arizona

Quick Fact - Renowned U.S. Gambling Towns

1870s Three fledgling U.S. towns that boomed and evolved into gambling centers were: Deadwood, South Dakota, where Wild Bill Hickok was killed while playing poker, immortalizing “dead man’s hand” Leadville, Colorado, where Doc Holliday shot…

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…