United States Archives

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…

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…

Cactus Pete's (Jackpot, NV) Casino History Diamond Jim's (Jackpot, NV) Elko--Nevada Gambling History Gambling: Revenue Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board Horshu Club (Jackpot, NV) It Really Happened Jackpot--Nevada Nevada Tex's Gateway (Jackpot, NV) The 93 (Jackpot, NV) Twin Falls--Idaho United States

Gambling Affront: Elko Disses Jackpot

1960 When one rural Nevada town grew into a gambling hot spot in the mid-1900s, the gamblers in another loudly grumbled. Soon after Idaho outlawed slot machines, its last vestige of legal gambling, the sagebrush-…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Bookmaking Games / Races: Horse Racing Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Nevada Bookmaking Legalized

1941 In an override of Governor Edward Carville’s veto, Nevada legislators legalized bookmaking. The law explained that “the receiving of bets or wagers on horse races held without the state of Nevada shall be deemed to be…

Did You Know? Gambling Currency: Chewing Gum Gambling History Gaming History Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – BAR Symbol Origin

The BAR symbol commonly found in slot machines today evolved from the early 19th century logo of the Bell-Fruit Gum Co., whose fruit-flavored chewing gum was dispensed when the player won. The flavors were those…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Murder Gambling History Gambling Laws / Regulations: NV Regulation 25 Gambling License Gambling: Junkets Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Commission Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board Hawaii It Really Happened Nevada United States

Crooks Exploit Gambling Junkets

1969-present When executives of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada hosted 12 people from Kansas City in 1969 as part of a gambling junket, it unexpectedly backfired. When their guests, after four days at the…

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

Quick Fact – Cha-Ching!

1936 An $11,800 gambling win (about $205,000 today) was the largest ever in Las Vegas to that point. The payout went to a man named A. “Blacksmith” Sweitzer after playing 21 (blackjack) for two hours, starting…

Casino History Casino: Financings: Teamsters Pension Fund Gambling Gambling History Games / Races: Jai Alai Governing / Regulatory Bodies: National Labor Relations Board Governing / Regulatory Bodies: U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service It Really Happened MGM Grand Hotel (Las Vegas, NV) MGM Grand Hotel (Reno, NV) Nevada Sin City United States

MGM Grand’s Gamble on Jai Alai

1974-1983 A revolt of the performers — athletes in this case — threatened to close a popular attraction at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas — jai alai. Unique to the Strip at the…

California Casino History Charles Cora Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Firearms Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Hanging Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Murder Fort Gunnybags (San Francisco, CA) Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System Law Enforcement / Judicial System: General William Richardson Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Vigilance Committee San Francisco--California United States

California Faro Dealer Loses It … All

1855-1856 Charles and Arabella “Bell” Cora were a colorful, rich and well-known San Francisco couple whose lives jolted into misfortune one Saturday night in 1855. He, 39, had made his money from dealing faro in…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Guys and Dolls musical Liberace Mario Lanza Nevada Quick Facts Sin City United States Vivian Blaine

Quick Fact – Off, Off, Off Broadway

1955 At least 10 hotel-casinos on the Las Vegas Strip offered entertainment, typically marquee names like Liberace and Mario Lanza, who’d played Sin City time and again. The Royal Nevada, though, changed it up with a…