United States Archives

California Casino History Del Mar Racetrack (Del Mar, CA) Del Mar--California Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Games / Races: Horse Racing Gaming History Law Enforcement / Judicial System: U.S. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – A Regular For Years

Former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover was such a rabid fan of horse racing that every summer, when in nearby La Jolla for his annual physical exam, he visited Del Mar in California, where he…

Beverly Hills-California Casino: Mock Ethnic Groups: African Americans Gambling History Games / Races: Chuck-a-luck Games / Races: Craps Games / Races: Faro Games / Races: Keno Games / Races: Roulette Gaming History It Really Happened Landmark Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas, NV) Madison--Wisconsin Nevada United States Virginia

Replicated Casinos: Who, Why, When and Where

1957, 1962, 1968, 1974 Over the years, entities around the world fashioned casinos for various educational and training purposes. Here are four that were based in the U.S.: 1) Instruction for Novice Players In 1957,…

Crimes / Violence / Punishments Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Disturbing the Peace Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Golden Bank (Reno, NV) Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Beat-it-Out-of-You Approach

1957 Inside the Golden Bank Casino on a Saturday afternoon, security personnel saw Merle Naughton, 40-year-old salesman, yanking and pounding on slot machines. When they told him to leave, he did. He went across the…

Boxers / Fight Promoters: James W. Coffroth California Casino History Events Events: Panama-Pacific International Exposition Events: Panama-Pacific International Exposition: '49 Camp (San Francisco, CA) Gambling Gambling Currency: Scrip Gambling History Gambling: Illegal Games / Races: Craps Games / Races: Faro Games / Races: Roulette Games / Races: Wheel of Fortune Gaming History It Really Happened Samuel "Sam" P. Davis San Francisco--California United States

Gambling Trouble at World’s Fair in San Francisco

1915 The ’49 Camp, one of the attractions at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, offered a gambling experience in which chips could be bought for money but cashed only for free-admission coupons for the other…

Casino History Did You Know? Eli Francovich Gambling History Games / Races: Wheel of Fortune Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States Wine House (Reno, NV)

Quick Fact – Engendering Envy

1929 When the only types of legal gambling in Nevada were poker, five hundred, solo, whist, parimutuel betting on horse races and slot machines with restrictions, owner Eli Francovich* installed in his Wine House club…

California Casino History Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Assistance Devices Games / Races: Creators / Manufacturers: Bob Bamford / Joe Alper Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada Pasadena--California Sahara (Las Vegas, NV) United States

“Electronic Brain Upsets Vegas Blackjack Dealers”

1960 “Las Vegas seemed to be both fascinated and frightened by the little computing machine,” reported Ray Duncan in the Independent Star-News (Dec. 5, 1960). The referenced device, via a dial on its front, advised…

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

Quick Fact – Temporary Casino Plague

1935 Avoiding darkness, they only emerged amid brightness, real or artificial. They congregated outside of every Reno, Nevada gambling club at the beginning of June, pestering the guests as they entered and exited. One night…

Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Equipment Gambling: Revenue Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Nevada Ray Wherrit Southern Nevada Vending Company United States

Cashing In, Out on Slot Machine Route

1951-1954 In October 1951, Southern California resident, Wayne H. Teipel, responded to a “For Sale” ad in the Los Angeles Examiner for a slot machine, pinball game and phonograph route business in Las Vegas, Nevada.…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Games / Races: Craps Games / Races: Roulette Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Gambling at Both Ends

1947 When the luxurious 12-story Mapes hotel opened in Reno, Nevada on Saturday, December 27, 1947, it boasted two casinos. One was on the river side of the main level, the other in the southwest…

Bing Crosby California Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Attempted Del Mar Racetrack (Del Mar, CA) Del Mar--California Gambling History Gambling: Parimutuel Games / Races: Horse Racing Gaming History It Really Happened United States

A Man and His Dream: Bing Crosby Opens Horse Racetrack

1937 An armored truck, accompanied by three deputy sheriff cars, was moving $262,000 (about $4.5 million today) the 15 miles from the Del Mar racetrack in California down the coastal highway to a San Diego…

Casino History Eldorado Resort Casino (Reno, NV) Four Queens Casino (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling History Games / Races: Creators / Manufacturers: Bally Distributing Company Games / Races: Creators / Manufacturers: Currency Gaming Devices Inc. Games / Races: Creators / Manufacturers: Dick Graves Games / Races: Creators / Manufacturers: SIRCOMA (Si Redd's Coin Machines) Games / Races: Creators / Manufacturers: William "Si" Redd Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities: Big Bertha Constellations Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities: Big Berthas Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities: Super Berthas Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada Plantation Casino / Rail City Casino (Sparks, NV) United States

Slot Machines Go Big … and Ginormous

1960s-Today The Big Bertha introduced in the 1960s wasn’t a circus lady or a German howitzer; it was a made-in-Nevada slot machine that became iconic. Named for its size, the three-reel device stood 5 to…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Games / Races: Craps Games / Races: Keno Games / Races: Roulette Games / Races: Slot Machines / Fruities: Big Berthas Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts Silver Spur (Reno, NV) United States

Quick Fact – Spurring On Business

1968 During the grand opening of the Silver Spur casino at 221 N. Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada on July 1, 1968, the ribbon was cut with a silver spur that Audie Murphy used in the…