gaming history Archives

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…

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

Quick Fact – Holiday Season Launch

1946 Which famous hotel-casino debuted in Las Vegas, Nevada the day after Christmas in this year? Hint: Jimmy Durante was the grand opening star; while on stage he destroyed a $1,600 piano (a $20,000 value…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishment: Drugs / Narcotics: Sales Crimes / Violence / Punishment: Drugs / Narcotics: Trafficking Ernest "Ole" C. Olson Eugene "Rosy" Bastida Gambling History Gambling License Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Tax Commission It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Douglas County Sheriff's Office--Nevada Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary (Leavenworth, KS) Nevada Salvatore "Tar Baby" Orester Terrano Ships Ships: USS Chaumont Stateline--Nevada Twin States (Stateline, NV) United States Waxey Gordon / Irving Wexler

Conviction Schmiction, Here’s a Gambling License

1930s-1952 Salvatore “Tar Baby” Orester Terrano is one of numerous criminals whom Nevada gambling regulators approved to own a casino in the state. In May 1947, the tax commission granted the Northern Californian, then 43,…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling: Vote Gaming History Montana Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Montana Votes on Gambling

1941 Ten years after Nevada legalized gambling and shortened the residency requirement for divorce from six months to six weeks, Montana took steps to compete. Bills to legalize gambling and to allow 30-day divorces were…

Bank Club (Reno, NV) Casino History Country Club (Reno, NV) Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Grafting Gambling History Gambling: Illegal Gaming History George Wingfield Haymarket (Reno, NV) It Really Happened Jack Sullivan / John D. Scarlett Monte Carlo (Reno, NV) Nevada The Big Casino (Tonopah, NV) United States Willows (Reno, NV)

Mob That Controlled Early Reno Gambling: Who, How

1920s-1930s Presumably to gain money, power and notoriety, a small clique of men monopolized gambling in Reno, Nevada during the 1920s and 1930s through violence, payoffs, intimidation, threats and other gangster techniques. The industry mostly…

Casino History Casino: Stock Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Governing / Regulatory Bodies: Nevada Gaming Commission Jerry's Nugget (North Las Vegas, NV) Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Taking Stock

1974 The Nevada Gaming Commission, the industry’s state regulatory body, amended regulations to allow employees to own stock in a casino where they worked, without having to get a gambling license, a process that involved…

Arizona Casino History Gambling History Gambling: Illegal Gambling: Raids Gambling: War Gaming History It Really Happened Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Maricopa County Attorney John W. Corbin--Arizona Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Maricopa County Justice of the Peace Harry E. Westfall--Arizona Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Maricopa County Sheriff Roy Merrill--Arizona Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Maricopa County Sheriff's Deputy Porter Northroup--Arizona Maricopa County--Arizona Phoenix--Arizona United States

Illegal Gambling Conspiracy in Maricopa County

1937-1938 Within a year of becoming the Maricopa County Attorney, John W. Corbin began work to expose the illegal gambling taking place in the Arizona region. He set his sights on busting the game operators and…

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

Quick Fact – Curiosity Trumps Motherhood

1931 When a Southern Pacific train stopped in Reno on a Friday in May at about 9:15 p.m., four passengers disembarked to squeeze in, before continuing on, a glance at gambling, which Nevada recently had…

Casino History Gambling Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Knightsbridge Sporting Club (London, England) London--England Nevada

1970s Gambling: England v. Nevada

1976 “Next time try London. The odds are better,” boasted a sign in the McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas in 1976. The posting of this ad and possibly others resulted from an agreement between…