nevada history Archives

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Owning Gold Did You Know? Gambling Gambling Currency: Coins--Gold Gambling History Nevada Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Last to Hear

1940 “Apparently unaware that gold has been forbidden as a medium of exchange, a tall, dark complexioned cowpuncher walked into a [Reno, Nevada] gambling club last night and startled the dealer by casually dropping a…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts The Westerner (Las Vegas, NV) United States

Quick Fact – Crossed Wires

1951 Upon entering The Westerner casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, an electrician told the guard he’d been dispatched to repair a boiler connection. After being admitted to the utility room, he produced a pistol and…

Bank Club (Reno, NV) Gambler (Operators/Players): Estate Gambling History Gaming History It Really Happened Jack Sullivan / John D. Scarlett Nevada United States Willows (Reno, NV)

An Inside Look at Late Gambler’s Estate

1951 Canada-born Jack Sullivan, né John D. Scarlett, had co-owned and run the Bank Club for two decades and prior to that, the Willows (it burned down in 1932) — both Reno, Nevada casino hotspots.…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling Gambling Currency: Coins--Brass Gambling History Gaming History Nevada Nevada State Prison (Carson City, NV) Quick Facts United States

Quick Fact – Brass in Pocket

1967 The month following closure of its on-site Bullpen casino, the Nevada State Prison sold the brass coins that inmates had used for decades (since 1932) for wagering and as currency. Sets, containing one coin…

Casino de Monte-Carlo (Monaco) Casino History Gambling History Gambling: Education Games / Races: Craps Games / Races: Creators / Manufacturers: B.C. Wills & Co. Gaming History Golden Hotel (Reno, NV) It Really Happened Monaco Nevada

Nevada Schools Monte Carlo on Craps

1949 “Eight the hard way!” “It’s the Big Dick!” “Next shooter, please!” “Seven, you lose!” When translated into the French language, these common phrases shouted by stickmen during craps lose their pizazz and bite, their…

Advertisements Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gaming History Nevada Nevada Club (Reno, NV) Quick Facts

Quick Fact – Select Workers Only

1965 Interesting age and marital status restrictions are specified in this help wanted ad for casino personnel:

Boulder Club (Las Vegas, NV) Casino History Clara Bow Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling: Debt Gaming History Law Enforcement / Judicial System: Lawsuit Louis Cornero Meadows (Las Vegas, NV) Nevada Quick Facts Rex Bell United States

Quick Fact – The Hard Way or the Easy Way

1931-1932 Actors Clara Bow and Rex Bell gambled at the Meadows in Las Vegas in summer 1931 and racked up a $1,100 loss (about $18,000 today), for which they left an IOU. By December, the…

Casino History Crimes / Violence / Punishments: Murder Dallas--Texas Gambling Gambling History Games / Races: Poker Gaming History It Really Happened Lester "Benny" Binion Meyer Lansky Nevada United States

10 Intriguing Facts About Gambling Kingpin “Benny” Binion

Today Although Texas-born Lester B. “Benny” Binion (1904-1989) no longer is with us, he remains a legend among Las Vegas casino owners and operators — gamblers, in industry parlance. Iconic even in his appearance —…

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 Charles Mapes Events: Daylight Saving Time Gambling History Gambling: Revenue Gaming History It Really Happened Nevada Raymond "Pappy" I. Smith United States

Gamblers Oppose Daylight Saving Time

1949 Casino owners balked when the question of going on daylight saving time (DST) arose in Nevada in 1949. Gamblers’ Outcries Charles Mapes, owner of the Mapes hotel-casino in Reno, made a few arguments: •…

Boulder City--Nevada Casino History F.J. Warren Gambling Gambling History Games / Races: Bingo Games / Races: Craps Games / Races: Poker Games / Races: Roulette Gaming History Henderson--Nevada It Really Happened Nevada O.T. Buck Railroad Pass Club (Henderson, NV) United States

Casino Entertains Hoover Dam Workers

1931 Twenty-six miles southeast of Las Vegas, the United States government, in 1931, developed Boulder City as the place to house men working on the Hoover Dam (originally Boulder Dam). The Bureau of Reclamation required…

Casino History Did You Know? Gambling History Gambling License Gaming History Nevada Quick Facts Riviera (Las Vegas, NV) Tony Martin United States

Quick Fact – Application Red Flags

1960-1961 Singer Tony Martin applied for a gambling license to acquire a 2 percent interest for $50,000 ($410,000 today) in the Riviera hotel-casino in Las Vegas. Investigation into his background revealed he’d served two days…