Geographical Areas Archives

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Mexico Quick Facts Tivoli Bar and Cafe (Juarez, Mexico)

Quick Fact – Casino Fit For a General

1911-1914 When Pancho Villa was commanding his armies in Northern Mexico, he chose for his headquarters the richly appointed Tivoli, then the largest casino in Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. Photo from El Paso Public Library: by…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling: Ban Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission Jackpot--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts United States Wells--Nevada

Quick Fact – Rural Gambling Ban

1954 Due to the 1953 scandal in Wells, Nevada, the state tax commissioners in June 1954 prohibited open gambling in the town of Jackpot, just south of the Nevada-Idaho border along U.S. Route 93. They worried…

Casino History Gambling History Gambling License Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Nevada United States Winnemucca--Nevada

How Do I Cheat? Let Me Count the Ways (Part II)

1958-1959 (Part I ran last week. If you missed it, it’s available here.) The Nevada Tax Commission withdrew the gambling license of the New Star casino’s operators — Brent Mackie and Kenneth Henton — in July…

Casino History Did You Know? Elko--Nevada Gambling History Gaming History Nevada Newton Crumley Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – When All Else Fails … Wager

1925 Newton “Newt” Crumley, Sr., Goldfield, Nevada resident, met with William Doyle in September to discuss purchasing from him the Commercial Hotel in Elko, but they couldn’t agree on a price. Doyle wanted $5,000 more than…

Brent Mackie Casino History Gambling History Gambling License Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board: Fred Galster Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission: Robbins Cahill It Really Happened Kenneth Henton Nevada New Star (Winnemucca, CA) Politicians / Politics: Robert F. Kennedy United States Winnemucca--Nevada

How Do I Cheat? Let Me Count the Ways (Part I)

1958 Casino workers at the New Star allegedly were caught in flagrante delicto. In April, a gambling detective — Michael MacDougall from New York — conducted a statewide, in-person survey of various gambling entities upon…

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

Quick Fact – In The Slot Machine’s Likeness

1960s-1970s More than a half-decade after the invention of the slot machine in 1887, liquor-filled decanters in their likeness became the rage, particularly at casinos. The version (in the photo), adorned with 24-carat gold, contained…

Casino History Colony Casino (Reno, NV) Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations: Reno Red Line Ordinance Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Nevada United States

Reno’s Divisive Gambling Zone

1947-1970 For some businesses, the Red Line was beneficial; for others, detrimental. The Red Line designated a rectangular region of downtown Reno, Nevada in which casinos with unlimited gambling could exist. Clubs offering gambling outside the…

Big Hat (Las Vegas, NV) Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishment: Duel Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Firearms Gambling Gambling History Gambling License Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada Sam Baker United States

The Duel at Big Hat

1948 Arthur T. Morgan belligerently stormed into the Big Hat casino on Highway 91 (outside Las Vegas, Nevada) at about 1:30 a.m. on a Friday night in spring. He immediately began heckling, threatening to shoot…

A.A. Baroni Block N (Reno, NV) Casino History Elite Cigar Store (Reno, NV) Gambling Gambling Currency Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada Nevada Committee on Good Laws Overland Hotel (Reno, NV) Washoe Lunch Counter (Reno, NV)

The Truth Lies Within

1925 As of 1915, Nevada gambling law only allowed slot machines that discharged tokens, or bingles, exchangeable for on-site merchandise; those that paid out in money or bingles redeemable for currency were forbidden. “The fact…

California Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gaming History 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…

Apache Hotel (Las Vegas, NV) Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel Casino History Continental Press Service (Chicago, IL) Dave Stearns Ed Margolis El Dorado Club (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling History Gambling: Race Wire Games / Races: Horse Racing Gaming History Golden Nugget Race Wire (Las Vegas, NV) It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Clark County Sheriff Glen Jones--Nevada Laws: Federal Communications Act Meyer Lansky Moe Sedway Morris Rosen Nevada Sam Stearns Santa Anita Turf Club (Las Vegas, NV) Sin City United States

Mysterious Horse Racing Broadcast

1948-1950 In between dispatch orders, a Las Vegas, Nevada taxi driver fleetingly picked up the announcement of horse racing information on his cab radio one day in mid-October, 1948. He informed Clark County Sheriff Glen…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Dice Gaming History Geographical Areas Nevada Ponderosa (Reno, NV) Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Gambling Debut Delay

1967 When the owners of the Ponderosa — Reno, Nevada’s newest major hotel (at 515 S. Virginia Street, now the Wild Orchid) — were about to debut gambling, with a celebratory first throwing of the dice, they ran into…