casinos Archives

Casino History Circus Circus (Las Vegas, NV) Crimes / Violence / Punishments Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada United States

Pay Up Or Blow Up — Las Vegas

1972 In the mail on Monday, April 24, each of 21 Las Vegas hotel-casinos received an identical, typewritten letter that demanded they pay a total of $2 million (about $12 million today) or get blown…

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 Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling License Gambling: Prizes Games / Races: Tango Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States

1946 Some Las Vegas, Nevada casinos handed out women’s nylons as slot machine and tango game* prizes. When the city’s board of commissioners found out, they banned it, threatening repeat offenders with losing their gambling…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Incline Village--Nevada Nevada Quick Facts Restaurants / Chefs: Denny's Restaurants Inc. United States

Quick Fact – Diners and Casinos?

1968-1969 Can you imagine if Denny’s was in Nevada’s casino business? Well, it nearly happened. In 1968 Denny’s Restaurants, Inc. had reached an agreement to acquire Caesars Palace in Las Vegas but didn’t go through…

Cosmo Club (Reno, NV) Ethnic Groups: African Americans Ethnic Groups: Asians Gambling Gambling Laws / Regulations: NV Civil Rights Act Harlem Club (Reno, NV) It Really Happened Moulin Rouge (Las Vegas, NV) Nevada New China Club (Reno, NV) Politicians / Politics: NV Governor Grant Sawyer

Nevada Casinos’ Jim Crow

1931-1965 Nevada’s early gambling industry was “wrapped in a segregated White Curtain” (Reno Gazette-Journal, Feb. 27, 2008). Between 1931, when Nevada legalized gambling, and 1965, African Americans were banned from gambling or even being present…

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

Quick Fact – Pall of Mourning

1963 On the Monday after then President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Las Vegas casinos went dark for 17 hours, from 7 a.m. to midnight, in his honor. Along with the gaming rooms in all of…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Murder Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened John "Johnny" W. Hicks Nevada United States

Dangerous Liaisons in Sin City

1972-1977 A $25,000 ($146,000 today) offer for the murder of 27-year-old John “Johnny” W. Hicks had been circulated, it was rumored throughout Las Vegas in mid-1972. The son of Marion B. Hicks, previous owner of…

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

Quick Fact – Bygone Courtesy

1919 Outside many of Reno’s gambling saloons were benches, on which club-goers, typically men, whether or not they’d been gambling, were welcome to sleep the night. (At that time, some forms of gambling were legal…