Gambling Archives

Gambling Gambling: Shills Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Commission Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board It Really Happened Nevada Rolo Casino (Reno, NV)

Gambling Decoys: Shills, Proposition Players

1947-1979 “Neat appearing girls from 21 to 25 to shill and learn to deal games at Rolo Casino, 14 E. Commercial Row,” read a Help Wanted ad in the Nevada State Journal (June 6, 1947). A shill,…

Gambling Gambling Currency: Coins Games / Races: Panguingue Games / Races: Poker Games / Races: Roulette Games / Races: Tonk It Really Happened Nevada

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 History Crimes / Violence / Punishments Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Cheating / Fleecing: Holdouts Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – He Who Cheats First …

1938 During a preliminary hearing on the felony charge of using a cheating device while playing cards at a Las Vegas gambling house, Walter Eccles of Los Angeles explained that he’d used a holdout worn…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling Currency: Canteen Coupons Gambling History Gaming History Iowa Iowa State Penitentiary Quick Facts

Quick Fact – Clink Gambling

1936 To better understand the experience, Judge Harry D. Landis of Seward, Nebraska purposefully spent 10 summer days, undercover as an inmate, in the Iowa State Penitentiary (since closed). After, when he publicly reported his assessment…

Artists / Designers: Pierre de Régnier (aka Tigre) Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Art Games / Races: Baccarat Gaming History Nice--France Quick Facts

Quick Fact – Depiction of French Gamblers

1931 The Big Baccarat Table in Nice (France) was sketched by cartoonist, Pierre de Régnier, aka Tigre (1898-1943), and ran in newspapers with this description: “From left to right: Mme. Ephrussi, the French multimillionaire widow…

Casino History Europe Gambling Gambling Currency: Dominoes Gambling Currency: Pebbles Gambling Currency: Wooden Cocks (Roosters) Gambling History Games / Races: Poker Games / Races: Roulette Gaming History It Really Happened Poland

Poland Seizes on Gambling

1913 During this year, the tail end of the second wave of massive Polish emigration, about 3.5 million people, primarily peasants from poor rural provinces, was taking place. Looming on the horizon was the outbreak…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Staying Put

1956 She wouldn’t budge. C. Johnson was playing a slot machine from a stool that was blocking the aisle in a downtown Reno, Nevada casino. When employees asked the Oakland, California resident to please shift…

Beldon Katleman Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Shoddy Accounting

1956 When auditors for Nevada reviewed its books, they discovered the El Rancho casino on the Las Vegas Strip had underpaid the requisite gambling taxes over nine quarters by $39,000 ($350,500 today). Despite the claims…

California Casino History Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Bucket Shopping Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit San Francisco--California

Bucket Shopper’s Dogged Fight

1911-1912 A San Francisco, California ordinance outlawed bucket shopping in 1911 — no longer was running or visiting such an enterprise legal — and one operator didn’t like it. Henry A. Moss, a bucket shop owner and…

Casino History Gambling Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: MT Judge Everton J. Conger Montana Politicians / Politics: U.S. President Chester A. Arthur United States

Montana Judge Punished for Legal Gambling

1883-1884 A gambling affinity, in part, did in Everton J. Conger’s career as associate justice of the Territory of Montana. President Chester A. Arthur suspended him in March 1883. Conger had served three years in…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Assaults Did You Know? Ely--Nevada Gambling History Gambling: Equipment Games / Races: Bowling Machine Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Not What I Wanted to Hear

1954 Arthur R. Schultz of Ely, Nevada, who’ previously had held a gambling license for slot machines, asked then District Attorney of White Pine County, Jon R. Collins, to rule on whether or not a…

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…