Nevada

Congress' Strategy For Slashing U.S. Gambling Activity Proves Problematic, Part I

1951 Gambling is the lifeblood of organized crime. This was U.S. Senator Estes Kefauver’s conclusion after the Special Committee on Organized Crime in Interstate Commerce, which he headed, concluded its investigation. The Kefauver Committee’s work,…

Series of Tragedies in Nevada Town Starts Inside Gambling Saloon

1951 A violent episode in a gambling saloon in Hawthorne, Nevada and ensuing events destroyed at least one resident family, the Gonces. A Little Background Vollie “Sam” V. Gonce and Kathleen L. Chapman had tied…

"Wild Finish of Naughty Nevada"

1910 Nevada was to cease all gambling operations and activity by midnight September 30, 1910* per a new law, already passed.** The final night, a Friday, was unlike any other before. “Nevada is determined to…

A Legal Battle: Card Counters vs. Nevada Casinos

1977-1979 As Mark Estes, 28, played blackjack at a table in Nevada’s Las Vegas Hilton casino one day, he counted the cards. This involved remembering the cards dealt during each game and using a mathematical…

10 Intriguing Facts About Gambler-Businessman Joseph Zemansky

The colorful career of San Francisco-born Joseph Zemansky (1877-1953) spanned three industries and two countries. After childhood in Sacramento, he spent several decades in California before settling in Nevada. Here are 10 highlights of Zemansky’s…

Renowned Boxers Maneuver Into Gambling-Related Businesses

This gambling history blog post discusses four famous boxers and their involvement with casino-related enterprises in the 1900s, in Mexico and Nevada. Learn more here.

Games of Chance: Panguingue Demystified

Though its popularity declined since its heyday, panguingue rightfully earned a place in United States gambling history. Great, but what the heck is it? Panguingue, or pan for short, is a rummy-type gambling card game.…

The Tavern, "Reno's Smartest Night Club," Endures Nine Years

1932-1941 The original owners of The Tavern in Reno planned to open it on Nevada Day (October 31) in 1932, but the economic downturn in the state, caused by The Great Depression, forced them to…

At Reno Gambling Club, The Crowd Roars One Day, A Fire, The Next

1941 In the wee Sunday morning hours of May 4, employees closed The Tavern after a busy Saturday night of patrons gambling, dining and dancing to live music. The place was bereft of people except…

New Game of Chance Hits Popularity Jackpot in 1930s Nevada

1936-1950s The Palace Club introduced a new casino game to Nevada’s “Biggest Little City” on May 1, 1936. Renoites quickly discovered it, and its popularity soared, leading to a solid run over about a decade.…

The Dice Fall Where They May in FBI Gambling Probe, Part II

1965-1969 The Red Carpet in Biloxi was cheating its craps players by using a “juice joint,” a two-ton electromagnet that controlled metal-containing dice on a game table, in 1965. At the time, Mississippi prohibited all…

The Dice Fall Where They May in FBI Gambling Probe, Part I

1965-1969  In its July 1966 raid of Kress Manufacturing Co. in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents seized a treasure trove of crooked gambling equipment that seemed headed to various Nevada casinos. The…