gaming history Archives

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling: Prizes Gaming History Harrah's (Reno, NV) Nevada Publicity Stunts / Promotions / Advertisements Quick Facts Reno--Nevada United States

Quick Fact - Shot at a Car

1972 Recognize these cars? A Pinto, Chevelle, Javelin and Datsun 240Z? Harrah’s hotel-casino in Reno, Nevada gave them away as well as cash in four weekly drawings for $35,000 worth of prizes ($205,000 today) over the…

Abner "Longie" Zwillman Casino History Clifford "Cliff" A. Jones Cuba Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations Gambling License Gaming History Golden Nugget (Las Vegas, NV) Haiti Hilton (Havana, Cuba) International Casino (Haiti) It Really Happened Las Vegas--Nevada Lucky Strike (Las Vegas, NV) Meyer Lansky Nevada Palace Club (Las Vegas, NV) Politicians / Politics: NV Governor Grant Sawyer Thunderbird (Las Vegas, NV) United States

Vegas Gambler Defies Mandate

1959 In February, The New York Times outed Clifford A. Jones. It brought to light that he held gambling interests in and out of Nevada, which The Silver State’s gaming law then prohibited. It was…

Bakersfield--California California Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Savings at all Costs

1933 When panhandling in Bakersfield, California, an Arthur J. Hayden received 25 cents ($4.70 today), which he took to a casino and parlayed into $690 ($13,000 today). The next day he grew his winnings to…

California Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Robbery / Theft / Embezzling Folsom State Prison (CA) Gambler (Operators/Players): Estate Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened John Quinn Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Nevada Palace Club (Reno, NV) Reno--Nevada San Francisco--California United States

Gambler's Wealth Meets Undue Fate

1924-1932 The story of the estate of a long-ago Nevada gambler after his passing is strange and unfortunate. John Quinn was a man who’d lost and made large fortunes in gambling and mining stock deals…

Beldon Katleman Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel Boulder Club (Las Vegas, NV) Casino History Club Savoy (Las Vegas, NV) El Cortez (Las Vegas, NV) El Dorado Club (Las Vegas, NV) El Rancho Vegas (Las Vegas, NV) Flamingo (Las Vegas, NV) Fremont Street--Las Vegas Frontier Club (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling History Gambling: War Gaming History Golden Nugget (Las Vegas, NV) Gus Greenbaum It Really Happened Las Vegas Club (Las Vegas, NV) Las Vegas Strip / S. Las Vegas Boulevard Las Vegas--Nevada Last Frontier (Las Vegas, NV) Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Clark County Sheriff Glen Jones--Nevada Meyer Lansky Monte Carlo (Las Vegas, NV) Nevada Pioneer Club (Las Vegas, NV) Santa Anita Turf Club (Las Vegas, NV) Sin City (Las Vegas) United States Western Club (Las Vegas, NV) William J. Moore

Alleged Vegas Gambling War Brews

1949 The article, “Las Vegas Gamblers Arming in Control Battle,” ran on the front page of a Los Angeles newspaper in the third week of December, to the chagrin of Nevada gambling regulators, casino owners,…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations: Nevada's Black Book / Excluded Person List Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Commission Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Excluded Persons

1975-1976 Nevada’s infamous “Black Book,” which contains information about the unsavory individuals who are banned from casinos, still exists today but under a different moniker. In 1975, citizen Beni Casselle expressed to the state gaming…

Artists / Designers: Edvard Munch Artists / Designers: Georges "Sem" Goursat Artists / Designers: Jean-Georges Beraud Camille Blanc Casino de Monte-Carlo (Monaco) Casino History Francois Blanc Gambling History Gambling: Art Gaming History It Really Happened Monaco Rene Leon

3 Depictions: Gambling at Monte Carlo

1890-1910 The heyday of the Monte Carlo casino resort in Monaco was The Roaring Twenties, but that was due in large part to the solid foundation laid by François Blanc decades earlier, who stepped in…

Andrew Jackson "Jack" Blackman Bank Club (Reno, NV) Casino History Casino, Gambling Saloon, Card Club, Slot Route Owners / Operators / Licensees / Gamblers Casinos / Gambling Saloons / Card Clubs / Slot Routes / Wire Services / Hotels / Racetracks / Racinos Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Shooting Folsom State Prison (CA) Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Nevada Reno--Nevada San Quentin State Prison (CA) Town House (Reno, NV) United States

Shakedown in Reno Escalates (Part 2)

1944-1945 The trial of Andrew Jackson “Jack” Blackman, free on $10,000 bail, began in April 1945, six months after he’d fatally shot James Lannigan in the Bank Club in Reno, Nevada. District Attorney Melvin E. Jepson, in…

Andrew Jackson "Jack" Blackman Bank Club (Reno, NV) Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Shooting Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada Reno--Nevada Ta-Neva-Ho (Crystal Bay , NV) Town House (Reno, NV) United States Walter Parman

Shakedown in Reno Escalates (Part 1)

1944-1945 A thug’s confrontation of a casino owner on October 30, 1944 radically altered both of their lives. Andrew Jackson “Jack” Blackman, co-proprietor of the Town House gambling saloon* in Reno, left his business for…

Bahamas Casino History Casinos / Gambling Saloons / Card Clubs / Slot Routes / Wire Services / Hotels / Racetracks / Racinos Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Skimming Cuba England Flamingo (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Haiti Israel It Really Happened Lebanon Meyer Lansky Miami Beach--Florida United States

Mobster Meyer Lansky Tries to Desert USA

1970-1972 Meyer Lansky was the puppeteer behind the scenes of the world’s gambling stage from the 1930s to the 1970s, controlling and manipulating the characters, or National Crime Syndicate members, with aplomb. He capitalized on…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Gambling Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Dice Gaming History Quick Facts United States Washington

Quick Fact - Evidence? What Evidence?

1934 When police raided an illegal gambling den in Kingston, Washington, one of the players present, Raymond Johnson, swallowed the dice. In court after his arrest, the judge gave him 30 days to “digest” and…

Bad Homburg--Germany Casino de Monte-Carlo (Monaco) Casino History Did You Know? Europe Francois Blanc Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Equipment Games / Races: Roulette Gaming History Monaco Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - European v. American Roulette

1840s-Today Gambler Francois Blanc, at his casino in Bad Homburg, Germany, introduced roulette in the early 1840s with only 0 and no 00 on the wheel and table layout, a choice he stuck with when…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling License Gaming History Las Vegas--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts Riviera (Las Vegas, NV) Tony Martin United States

Quick Fact - Application Red Flags

1960-1961 Singer Tony Martin applied for a gambling license to acquire a 2 percent interest for $50,000 ($410,000 today) in the Riviera hotel-casino in Las Vegas. Investigation into his background revealed he’d served two days…

Beldon Katleman Casino History Desert Inn (Las Vegas, NV) El Rancho Vegas (Las Vegas, NV) Flamingo (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling History Gaming History Gus Greenbaum It Really Happened Las Vegas Strip / S. Las Vegas Boulevard Last Frontier (Las Vegas, NV) Marion Hicks Nevada Paradise--Nevada Thunderbird (Las Vegas, NV) United States Wilbur Clark William J. Moore Winchester--Nevada

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