United States Archives

California Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling: Illegal Gaming History Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Los Angeles Chief of Police Charles E. Sebastian Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Vice Crusade Tactic

1913 As what the Los Angeles Times called the “the first sally in the greatest campaign that has ever been waged for the elimination of gambling” (April 7, 1913), Los Angeles Chief of Police Charles…

Casino History Gambling Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations: U.S. Act to Prohibit Bucketing and Bucket Shopping Gambling: Bucket Shopping Games / Races: Commodities Gaming History It Really Happened Politicians / Politics: U.S. President William Taft United States

Bucket Shopping: A Species of Gambling

1870s-1920s “I want to go short 1,000 bushels of December wheat, 1 cent on the bushel.” This $10 bet was typical back in the heyday of bucket shops in the United States, between 1870 and…

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

Quick Fact – In Observance

1939 Las Vegas gambling houses and saloons were shut for three hours in observance of Good Friday, at the request of the local churches. It was the first time in the Nevada city’s history that such…

Casino History Charles Mapes Events: Daylight Saving Time Gambling History Gambling: Revenue Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada Raymond "Pappy" I. Smith United States

Gamblers Oppose Daylight Saving Time

1949 Casino owners balked when the question of going on daylight saving time (DST) arose in Nevada in 1949. Gamblers’ Outcries Charles Mapes, owner of the Mapes hotel-casino in Reno, made a few arguments: •…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Dice Gambling: Illegal Gaming History Quick Facts United States Washington

Quick Fact – Evidence? What Evidence?

1934 When police raided an illegal gambling den in Kingston, Washington, one of the players present, Raymond Johnson, swallowed the dice. In court after his arrest, the judge gave him 30 days to “digest” and…

Boulder City--Nevada Casino History F.J. Warren Gambling Gambling History Games / Races: Bingo Games / Races: Craps Games / Races: Poker Games / Races: Roulette Gaming History Henderson--Nevada It Really Happened Nevada O.T. Buck Railroad Pass Club (Henderson, NV) United States

Casino Entertains Hoover Dam Workers

1931 Twenty-six miles southeast of Las Vegas, the United States government, in 1931, developed Boulder City as the place to house men working on the Hoover Dam (originally Boulder Dam). The Bureau of Reclamation required…

Bad Homburg--Germany Casino de Monte-Carlo (Monaco) Casino History Did You Know? Europe Francois Blanc Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Equipment Games / Races: Roulette Gaming History Monaco Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – European v. American Roulette

1840s-Today Gambler Francois Blanc, at his casino in Bad Homburg, Germany, introduced roulette in the early 1840s with only 0 and no 00 on the wheel and table layout, a choice he stuck with when…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling License Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts Riviera (Las Vegas, NV) Tony Martin United States

Quick Fact – Application Red Flags

1960-1961 Singer Tony Martin applied for a gambling license to acquire a 2 percent interest for $50,000 ($410,000 today) in the Riviera hotel-casino in Las Vegas. Investigation into his background revealed he’d served two days…

Bank Club (Elko, NV) Casino History Did You Know? Elko--Nevada Gambling Currency: Coins Gambling History Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Elko Casino Targeted

1934 After hiding somewhere in the building, a person robbed the Bank Club casino’s safe of $500 in silver change (about $9,000 today) between 4 and 6 p.m. on a Wednesday in early December. This…

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

Quick Fact – Casino Credit Component

1970s Caesars Palace in Las Vegas extended $160 million in credit to players in 1977. This was more than the then-considered staggering $106 million cost of the original MGM Grand (early ’70s), also in Sin City, and…

Casino History Gambling Gambling History Games / Races: Roulette Gaming History It Really Happened Morrey Brodsky Nevada United States

Club Cal-Neva Permits Horseplay

1950 Susan Wallace, a 24-year-old, “plucky blonde” who resided in Hollywood, California, needed money to further her opera studies (Nevada State Journal, Jan. 8, 1950). In early January, she sent telegrams to the casinos in…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Currency: Chips Gambling Currency: Counterfeit Gambling History Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Bogus Chips in Nevada

1947 John Clark Bosworth, of Reno, 47, was sentenced to 10 days in the local jail for playing with fake $25 chips in a Las Vegas casino. What do you think? Was this a light…