gambling history Archives

California Casino History Gambling Gambling History Gambling: Bucket Shopping Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit San Francisco--California

Bucket Shopper’s Dogged Fight

1911-1912 A San Francisco, California ordinance outlawed bucket shopping in 1911 — no longer was running or visiting such an enterprise legal — and one operator didn’t like it. Henry A. Moss, a bucket shop owner and…

Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Bugsy Siegel’s Hidden Safe

1972 Twenty-six years after the gangland assassination of mobster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel and his debut of the Flamingo in Las Vegas, a trap door was discovered in one of the hotel-casino’s offices when the carpet…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Murder Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: El Dorado County Sheriff Ernest Carlson--California Nevada Stateline--Nevada

Murder Mystery at South Shore

1958-1959 Clarence Thayer grew ill with flu-like symptoms on Thanksgiving Day in 1958 while visiting his sister in Oakland, California. He was a well drilling contractor who lived in South Lake Tahoe. He and his…

Canada Casino History Did You Know? Fallsview Casino (Niagara Falls, Ontario) Gambling History Gaming History Niagara Falls--Ontario Quick Facts

Quick Fact – A Natural View

Today In Ontario, Canada, the appropriately named gambling resort — Fallsview Casino — overlooks Horseshoe Falls, one of the three gushing cascades that comprise Niagara Falls.

Casino History Gambling Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: MT Judge Everton J. Conger Montana Politicians / Politics: U.S. President Chester A. Arthur United States

Montana Judge Punished for Legal Gambling

1883-1884 A gambling affinity, in part, did in Everton J. Conger’s career as associate justice of the Territory of Montana. President Chester A. Arthur suspended him in March 1883. Conger had served three years in…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Firearms Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Murder Elite Club (Ely, Nevada) Ely--Nevada Gambling History Gaming History Goodsprings--Nevada It Really Happened Nevada Oberon Saloon (Sparks, NV) Pioneer Saloon (Goodsprings, NV) United States

Men Quick to Fire in Gambling Clashes

1904, 1915, 1936 Against a backdrop of sagebrush and dust in Nevada’s early, remote mining towns, saloons drew men for drinking and gambling. That combination, along with contrarian/antagonistic personalities, sometimes led to disputes that turned…

Abner "Longie" Zwillman Casino History Clifford Jones Cuba Gambling History Gambling License Gaming History Golden Nugget (Las Vegas, NV) Haiti International Casino (Haiti) It Really Happened Lucky Strike (Las Vegas, NV) Meyer Lansky Nevada Palace Club (Las Vegas, NV) United States

Vegas Gambler Defies Mandate

1959 In February, The New York Times outed Clifford A. Jones. It brought to light that he held gambling interests in and out of Nevada, which The Silver State’s gaming law then prohibited. It was…

Bakersfield--California California Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling History Gaming History Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Savings at all Costs

1933 When panhandling in Bakersfield, California, an Arthur J. Hayden received 25 cents ($4.70 today), which he took to a casino and parlayed into $690 ($13,000 today). The next day he grew his winnings to…

California Casino History Folsom State Prison (CA) Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened John Quinn Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Nevada San Francisco--California United States

Gambler’s Wealth Meets Undue Fate

1924-1932 The story of the estate of a long-ago Nevada gambler after his passing is strange and unfortunate. John Quinn was a man who’d lost and made large fortunes in gambling and mining stock deals…

Cannes--France Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling: Record Games / Races: Baccarat Gaming History Le Casino Municipal (Cannes, France) Quick Facts

Quick Fact – Baccarat Wagers Soar

1929 Le Casino Municipal in Cannes, France broke its record in January for the highest amount of money (in chips) in play at a baccarat table — $1 million ($14.3 million today). “Though individual bets…

00 (Double-0) Saloon (Las Vegas, NV) Casino History Gambling History Gambling: Illegal Gaming History It Really Happened Las Vegas Hotel (Las Vegas, NV) Nevada Northern Saloon (Las Vegas, NV) United States

Busted for Running Gambling in Nevada

1916 The year brought indictments in Las Vegas against individuals for violating Nevada’s anti-gambling statute, which was unusual because law enforcement generally ignored or poorly enforced it. Operating a gambling game then constituted a felony.…

Boxers / Fight Promoters: Edward "Gunboat" Smith Casino (Reno, NV) Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts

Quick Fact – Questions of Identity

1923 A new man in town was thought to be the famous Irish American boxer Edward “Gunboat” Smith. But when the City of Reno police arrested him as a suspect in a $310 ($4,500 today)…