slot machines Archives

Casino History Elko--Nevada Gambling History Games / Races: Games Creators / Manufacturers: Character Manufacturing Co. Games / Races: Games Creators / Manufacturers: Frank Polk Games / Races: Games Creators / Manufacturers: Sundance Cravat Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities: Animated Gaming History Golden Hotel (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) 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 Casinos / Gambling Saloons / Card Clubs / Slot Routes / Wire Services / Hotels / Racetracks / Racinos Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing: Pseudo Coins / Slugs Did You Know? Events: Seattle World's Fair / Century 21 Exposition Gambling Gambling Currency Gambling History Games / Races Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - The Right Size

1962 After the Seattle World’s Fair, or the Century 21 Exposition, the bronze coins used as trade dollars during that event appeared in slot machines throughout Nevada.

Brothels Brothels: Ash Meadows Sky Ranch (Lathrop Wells, NV) Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling License Games / Races Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Gaming History Lathrop Wells (Amargosa Valley)--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts

Quick Fact - An "Unsuitable" Combo

1972 The brothel Ash Meadows Sky Ranch, in Lathrop Wells (today Amargosa Valley) in Nye County, accessible via an airstrip, was denied a gambling license by Nevada gaming regulators to operate four slot machines on…

Casino: Corporations: Pyramid Securities Inc. Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Fraud Gambling History Gambling: Equipment Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Gaming History Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Nevada Nevada State Prison (Carson City, NV) Oak Room (Reno, NV) Pyramid Securities Inc: Joe Larango Reno--Nevada

Slot Machines Land on Trouble in Reno

1953 Theodore “Ted” Donaldson, 31, bought six slot machines from Joe Larango of Pyramid Securities Inc., a company with the devices in several Reno, Nevada locations, including the Oak Room casino. Donaldson paid the $1,825 cost…

Casino History Casino: Corporations: Pyramid Securities Inc. Gambling History Gambling License Games / Races: 21 / Blackjack Games / Races: Craps Games / Races: Roulette Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Reno City Council (NV) It Really Happened Nevada Oak Room (Reno, NV) Politicians / Politics: Kefauver Committee Pyramid Securities Inc: Carl Inskeep Pyramid Securities Inc: Emmett Shea Pyramid Securities Inc: H.M. Hicks Pyramid Securities Inc: Joe Caulk Reno--Nevada United States

Games of Chance Appropriate in Bus Depot?

1951 Prior to the July grand opening of the new Greyhound Lines Inc. bus terminal at 224 S. Center Street in Reno, Pyramid Securities Inc. applied for a gambling license and permission to offer games…

Anti-Gambling / Anti-Casino Efforts Arizona Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Raids Gambling: War Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Maricopa County Attorney John W. Corbin--Arizona Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Maricopa County Justice of the Peace Harry E. Westfall--Arizona Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Maricopa County Sheriff Roy Merrill--Arizona Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Maricopa County Sheriff's Deputy Porter Northroup--Arizona Maricopa County--Arizona Phoenix--Arizona United States

Illegal Gambling Conspiracy in Maricopa County

1937-1938 Within a year of becoming the Maricopa County Attorney, John W. Corbin began work to expose the illegal gambling taking place in the Arizona region. He set his sights on busting the game operators and…

California Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Robbery / Theft / Embezzling Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Gaming History Los Angeles-California Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - Out of Time

1936 A thief took the trouble of entering a Los Angeles, California café through a skylight to rob the slot and marble games. But instead of getting the heck out after that was successful, he stayed…

Did You Know? Gambling Currency: Chewing Gum Gambling History Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Gaming History Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact - BAR Symbol Origin

The BAR symbol commonly found in slot machines today evolved from the early 19th century logo of the Bell-Fruit Gum Company, whose fruit-flavored chewing gum was dispensed when the player won. The flavors were those…

Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities Gaming History Quick Facts Sacramento--California

Quick Fact - Sac'ed Slots

1911 At midnight on June 19, a ban on slot machines took effect in Sacramento, California. The new law made it a misdemeanor to have the devices in one’s possession or on one’s property. The…

Allen Smiley Club Savoy (Las Vegas, NV) Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing Flamingo (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling Laws / Regulations Games / Races: Craps It Really Happened Jack Durant Las Vegas--Nevada Louis "Russian Louie" Strauss Norman Khoury

Dirty Dealings in Las Vegas

1949-1953 Only months after Cleveland bar owner, Norman Khoury’s 1949 acquisition of Club Savoy in Las Vegas, Nevada, California mobster/gambler Allen Smiley, an associate of the then-deceased Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, unexpectedly approached him. Smiley introduced…

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 —…

Gambling Laws / Regulations: U.S. Transportation of Gambling Devices Act Games / Races: Roulette Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation Politicians / Politics: Kefauver Committee United States

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