Gambling Archives

00 (Double-0) Saloon (Las Vegas, NV) Casino History Gambling History Gambling: Illegal Gaming History It Really Happened Las Vegas Hotel (Las Vegas, NV) Nevada Northern Saloon (Las Vegas, NV) United States

Busted for Running Gambling in Nevada

1916 The year brought indictments in Las Vegas against individuals for violating Nevada’s anti-gambling statute, which was unusual because law enforcement generally ignored or poorly enforced it. Operating a gambling game then constituted a felony.…

Bal Tabarin (Crystal Bay, NV) Bay Meadows Racetrack (San Mateo, CA) Bernard "Mooney" Einstoss California Casino History Defense Attorneys: Paul McCormick Del Mar Racetrack (Del Mar, CA) Gambler (Operators/Players): Minors Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Bookmaking Gambling: Parimutuel Games / Races: Horse Racing Gaming History Hollywood Park Racetrack (Inglewood, CA) Incline Village--Nevada It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Nevada Nevada Club (Reno, NV) Tanforan Racetrack (San Bruno, CA) United States

Nevada Casino Owner Fixes California Horse Races

1939-1941 Bernard “Bernie” Einstoss was a well-known gambler in Northern Nevada for nearly two decades, between 1947 and 1965.* Prior to that, he masterminded and executed a scheme to fix horse races** in California by…

Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Games / Races: Bridge Whist Gaming History Manila--Philippines Quick Facts

Quick Fact – Rabid Anti-Gamblers

1907 William Howard Taft (not yet the U.S. president) was in Manila, the Philippines on Secretary of War duties. His wife, Helen, or “Nellie,“ who’d accompanied him on the trip, was at a Saturday morning bridge…

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…

Casino History Gambling Games / Races: Sports Betting Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada Politicians / Politics: U.S. Senator (NV) Patrick "Pat" A. McCarran Sports Teams Sports Teams: University of Nevada Wolf Pack United States

Accusation: The Fix is In!

1948 The November 22, 1948 issue of Sports-Week roiled Nevada Wolf Pack fans and supporters. Array of Allegations An article in that edition of the nationally circulated digest charged that the University of Nevada* (UN)…

21 (El Cerrito, CA) California Casino History Contra Costa County--California David "Dave" Nathan Kessel El Cerrito--California Gambling History Gambling License Gambling: Bookmaking Gambling: Illegal Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission Hollywood (El Cerrito, CA) It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Federal Judge Louis E. Goodman Politicians / Politics: Kefauver Committee Politicians / Politics: Kefauver Committee: Contempt of Congress Rancho San Pablo (El Cerrito, CA) The Wagon Wheel (El Cerrito, CA) United States Walter "Big Bill" Melburn Pechart

California Gamblers Snub Federal Inquiry

1950-1953 During the 1950 federal hearings on organized crime, two Northern California gamblers — Walter “Big Bill” Melburn Pechart and David “Dave” Nathan Kessel — were uncooperative, according to the questioners. They were Senators Estes…

Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel Casino History Gambling Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations: U.S. Revenue Act of 1951 Gambling License Gaming History Nevada Politicians / Politics: Kefauver Committee Politicians / Politics: Kefauver Committee: Contempt of Congress Pro-Gambling Efforts Salvatore "Sam" Maceo United States

Despite Ridicule, Nevada Politician Protects Gambling

1933-1954 His unfavorable personal opinion about gambling notwithstanding, Patrick “Pat” A. McCarran (D-Nev.) — U.S. Senator between 1933 and 1954 — acted repeatedly on the industry’s behalf. Had he not, it’s likely gaming wouldn’t have…

Bank Club (Reno, NV) Casino History Country Club (Reno, NV) Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Grafting Gambling History Gambling: Illegal Gaming History George Wingfield Haymarket (Reno, NV) It Really Happened Jack Sullivan / John D. Scarlett Monte Carlo (Reno, NV) Nevada The Big Casino (Tonopah, NV) United States Willows (Reno, NV)

Mob That Controlled Early Reno Gambling: Who, How

1920s-1930s Presumably to gain money, power and notoriety, a small clique of men monopolized gambling in Reno, Nevada during the 1920s and 1930s through violence, payoffs, intimidation, threats and other gangster techniques. The industry mostly…

Arizona Casino History Gambling History Gambling: Illegal 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…

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

Quick Fact – Curiosity Trumps Motherhood

1931 When a Southern Pacific train stopped in Reno on a Friday in May at about 9:15 p.m., four passengers disembarked to squeeze in, before continuing on, a glance at gambling, which Nevada recently had…

Casino History Gambling Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Knightsbridge Sporting Club (London, England) London--England Nevada

1970s Gambling: England v. Nevada

1976 “Next time try London. The odds are better,” boasted a sign in the McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas in 1976. The posting of this ad and possibly others resulted from an agreement between…

British Royals: Edward VIII, Prince of Wales British Royals: Prince George, Duke of Kent Casino History Casino Municipal de Viña del Mar (Viña del Mar, Chile) Chile Gambling Gambling History Games / Races: Baccarat Games / Races: Roulette Gaming History It Really Happened Viña del Mar--Chile

Chancy Chaps Champion Chilean Casino

1928-Today Members of English royalty unwittingly helped launch a new South American casino toward success in the 1930s. After Chilean President Carlos Ibáñez del Campo, in 1928, authorized creation of a gambling house, Viña del…