casino Archives

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…

Casino History Chicago--Illinois Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling: Equipment Gaming History Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Gambling Tools’ Fate

1895 Chicago gamblers waged a long, hard legal battle against the law that allowed police and other authorities to destroy casino equipment seized during the execution of a search warrant. The fight ended, however, in 1895…

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

Quick Fact – Matrimonial Diss

1947 Hollywood actress Mildred Jenkins testified in court about her wedding night in Nevada. After marrying A.Q. Bonner, Jr., a Northern California rancher, the two had breakfast and went to a casino. “A.Q. lost all…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Games / Races: Bingo Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Control Board Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Detrimental Game of Chance

1956 The gambling licensees of the Dunes and Silver Slipper casinos applied to restart bingo on the premises, but the Nevada Gaming Commission denied their request, stating that the return of the game to the Las…

Did You Know? Gambling Nevada Quick Facts

Quick Fact – Seer Balzar

1930 In December, while vacationing in Southern California, Nevada Governor Frederick “Fred” Balzar — foretelling the future — told reporters that gambling already was wide open in his state and that a bill making it…

Casino History Cecil Lynch Did You Know? Fortune Club (Las Vegas, NV) Gambling History Gaming History Golden Slot (Las Vegas, NV) Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Nevada Quick Facts Robert Van Santen United States

Quick Fact – Casino Name Beef

1957 After Robert Van Santen and Cecil Lynch’s business partnership in the Las Vegas, Nevada Fortune Club soured (Lynch broke off to open his own gambling club at the Golden Slot site), the two fought…

Casino History Did You Know? Fan Tan (Reno, NV) Gambling History Games / Races: Pai Gow Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Pai Gow’s Nevada Debut

1967 After a demonstration of the game, Nevada gambling regulators, for the first time, allowed pai gow — a Chinese version of dominoes — to be offered in its casinos. The clubs with pai gow,…

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…