In this video, I talk about my plan to summarize the book in a few short videos and discuss the prologue and first chapter.
In this video, I talk about my plan to summarize the book in a… Read More »
book, Roll the Bones, videoNevada’s first governor, Henry Bladsel, wasn’t a fan of gambling. He called it “an intolerable and inexcusable vice” after taking office in 1864, and he convinced the legislature to strengthen penalties against gambling.
That didn’t stop Nevadans from gambling, and in 1869 the legislature passed a law legalizing gambling. Over Bladsel’s veto. The rest is quite literally history.
You can read the entire story of Nevada gambling in Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.
Go here to read an excerpt from the book, or learn where to buy your copy.
Nevada’s first governor on gambling Read More »
fromthebookThe Sun City resort, which Sol Kerzner opened in Bophuthatswana in 1979, featured many of the amenities that would characterize Las Vegas Strip “mega-resorts” in the 1990s, and Steve Wynn credited Kerzner’s resort as an influence on The Mirage, which itself sparked the boom on the Strip.
Learn more about casinos in South Africa and everywhere else in Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.
Go here to read an excerpt from the book, or learn where to buy your copy.
South Africa and the Strip Read More »
fromthebookQ & A with Newsworks New Jersey:
It’s always great to talk to people from my native New Jersey, particularly Jen A. Miller, who has written a great book about the Jersey Shore.
Go here to read the whole interview, where I put an Atlantic City spin on the book, which already has some great material about the seaside resort.
You can also read an excerpt from the book’s Atlantic City chapterl The Rise of Atlantic City.
I’ve definitely got Atlantic City covered in this new edition.
Q & A with Newsworks New Jersey Read More »
author, Roll the BonesQ & A with Newsworks New Jersey:
It’s always great to talk to people from my native New Jersey, particularly Jen A. Miller, who has written a great book about the Jersey Shore.
Go here to read the whole interview, where I put an Atlantic City spin on the book, which already has some great material about the seaside resort.
You can also read an excerpt from the book’s Atlantic City chapterl The Rise of Atlantic City.
I’ve definitely got Atlantic City covered in this new edition.
Q & A with Newsworks New Jersey Read More »
author, Roll the BonesQ & A with Newsworks New Jersey:
It’s always great to talk to people from my native New Jersey, particularly Jen A. Miller, who has written a great book about the Jersey Shore.
Go here to read the whole interview, where I put an Atlantic City spin on the book, which already has some great material about the seaside resort.
You can also read an excerpt from the book’s Atlantic City chapterl The Rise of Atlantic City.
I’ve definitely got Atlantic City covered in this new edition.
Q & A with Newsworks New Jersey Read More »
author, Roll the BonesRoulette was the game of choice for many Russian visitors to gambling resorts along the Rhine river in the mid-19th century. Fyodor Doystoevsky’s short novel The Gambler was based on first-hand “research” the author conducted at the gambling tables in Baden-Baden.
Learn the complete Dostoevsky story in Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.
Go here to read an excerpt from the book, or learn where to buy your copy.
Nick “the Greek” Dandolos was one of the most legendary gamblers in Las Vegas history. He claimed to have had more than $500 million pass through his hands as wins and losses during his gambling career. But he didn’t live lavishly; for years he lived in a $10-a-night hotel room.
There’s lots more about famous and infamous gamblers in Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.
Go here to read an excerpt from the book, or learn where to buy your copy.
Nick the Greek in Vegas Read More »
fromthebookIn the early 1980s, bingo halls on tribal lands throughout the United States exploded. These bingo halls generally did not follow state rules on maximum jackpots, so they were incredibly popular. They formed the foundation for today’s tribal gaming industry.
In 1984, the Otoe Missouria Indians opened what they billed as the world’s biggest bingo hall, the 6,000-seat Red Rock Bingo Palace in north-central Oklahoma.
You can learn more about tribal government gaming and the development of casinos on Indian reservations in Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.
Go here to read an excerpt from the book, or learn where to buy your copy.
World’s Biggest Bingo Hall Read More »
fromthebookThe first officially-sanctioned casino at the health resort of Spa, Belgium, was the Redoute. It opened 1765 in a temporary structure (much like Detroit casinos 230 years later), with the permanent building opening in 1769.
You can read more about earl…
First Casino at Spa, Belgium Read More »
fromthebookCasinos evolved quite differently in Canada from the United States, following a mix of the European statist model and the U.S. free enterprise one. Most casinos in Canada are owned by either a provincial government or run for charitable organizations.
Most of the charitable casinos are in Western Canada. The first provincially-owned casino in Eastern Canada, Quebec’s Casino de Montreal, opened in 1993, followed the following year by Ontario’s Casino Windsor, right across the border from downtown Detroit.
There is much more interesting material about casinos in Canada and everywhere else in Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.
Go here to read an excerpt from the book, or learn where to buy your copy.
For the first 20 or so years, Las Vegas Strip casino restaurants were strictly loss leaders, with the fare passable but nothing to write home about.
Chester Simms, general manager of the Flamingo, changed that when he opened the Candlelight Room, the Strip’s first real gourmet restaurants, in 1961. Today we’re used to casinos sourcing seafood from all over the world, but flying in fresh Maine lobsters daily was innovative fifty years ago.
You can read much more about the Flamingo and other casinos, in Las Vegas and around the world, in Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.
Go here to read an excerpt from the book, or learn where to buy your copy.
LV Strip’s 1st Gourmet Casino Dining Read More »
fromthebook, gambling & cultureLots of people have heard of San Francisco mechanic Charles Fey’s Liberty Bell, which was the first auto-pay reel slot to gain popularity. He unveiled it in 1899.
Fewer people know that the first coin-operated slot machine, a device that flipped through five decks of cards, with winners paid off in kind (not in cash) for “winning” hands.
It was an early, analog video poker machine. And it was invented in 1891, 8 years before Fey’s Liberty Bell, in Brooklyn, New York.
That’s just one of the many fascinating things you’ll read about in Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.
From the book: The first poker machine Read More »
fromthebook, Roll the BonesAs I mentioned a few days ago, last night I was scheduled to give a talk at the meeting of the Southern Nevada Casino Collectibles Club.
I had a great time talking to the collectors. Usually when I speak to groups, I give a straight talk about casino history. But knowing how savvy collectors are about casino history (I learn something just about every time I talk to one), I skipped that and instead we had a great Q&A where I pointed them to some sources for their own historical research and shared some of my finds.
It was fun because it was a chance to talk about the behind-the-scenes aspects of my job (and my research/writing) that I don’t usually get to.
I also brought a few copies of the new book and sold (and signed) them all, making this my first book signing event for Roll the Bones (Casino Edition).
All of which made me think I should do this more often. If you’ve got a group in Southern Nevada and are looking for a speaker, I’d be happy to give a brief talk about what I do and what I’ve written. It’d be nice if I could bring a few books to sell as well.
And if you’re coming to town for a convention or are an event planned, I also do convention speaking. I’ve got two main talks that I give.
The first is Seven Things You Should Know About Casinos, which explains some of the tricks of the casino trade to novice audiences and is a perfect fit for the first day’s lunch speaker. It’s humorous, and people get a good overview of the odds of different games, casino history, the mob, counting cards, and casino etiquette.
The second is How Bugsy Blew It: Leadership Lessons from a Las Vegas Legend. This one is a good fit as a management/leadership/motivational talk. I share the real story of how Bugsy Siegel took control over the Flamingo project and nearly ran it into the ground before getting murdered by an unknown assailant in 1947, but with a hook: what can leaders learn from his mistakes? It’s a different spin on the usual motivational talk, but one that has some good lessons for everyone.
If you’re interested in having me speak to your group, whether it’s a social group of Las Vegas locals or a visiting convention group, contact me.
Great event at SNCCC last night Read More »
UncategorizedInterview about RTB at Betfair:
In this interview with Betfair’s Short-Stacked Shamus (whose great blog you can read here), I talk a little about where Roll the Bones came from, and current events in poker.
http://betting.betfair.com/poker/news/the-betfair-poker-interview-david-g-schwartz-080213-77.html
Interview about RTB at Betfair Read More »
interview, Roll the BonesFun casino history event tomorrow!
Tomorrow night (2/12), at 7 PM, I’m speaking to the Southern Nevada Casino Collectibles Club. I’ll be talking about gambling history and maybe sharing some things from Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.
I’ve known many of the collectors through the years, and I’m always energized by their passion for gambling history. But the best part about this event is that you are invited.
Yes, even if you’re not a member, the event is open to the public. Consider it your chance to check out the club, and to see if you can find that $25 Dunes chip you’ve been hunting for. And if you like what you see, you can become a member.
They start buying and trading chips and other collectibles around 6 PM. I’m on around 7 PM. I’ll have copies of Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling available if you want one signed.
The meeting is at the Marine Corps League Museum / Leatherneck Club, 4360 Spring Mountain Rd, Las Vegas, Nevada, at the northeast corner of Spring Mountain and Arville.
You’re invited to see me at SNCCC tomorrow night Read More »
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Today I’ve added three excerpts from Roll the Bones to the site to give you a little flavor of the book if you haven’t picked up a copy already. Enjoy!
This is the introductory overview to the book, giving an idea of its scope—and the changes in the Casino Edition.
This excerpt, from chapter 10, “A Place in the Sun,” explains how the Mob carved out influence on the Las Vegas Strip in the 1950s and 1960s, and why it was so dominant.
The opening pages of chapter 12, “America’s Playground…Again” discuss the rebirth and rise to (brief) dominance of Atlantic City’s casinos in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
To learn where you can buy Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling, please visit here.
Three excerpts from Roll the Bones Read More »
atlantic city, author, gambling & culture, life in vegasOne of the drawbacks to having an ebook as opposed to a print copy of a book is not being able to get that all-important author autograph. Until now. Using a site called Authorgraph, you can get your Roll the Bones ebook signed by the author.
It’s quick, easy, and gives you that personal connection to the author and the book.
Try it right here.
If you haven’t gotten your copy yet, you can buy it just about anywhere right here.
Get your RTB ebook signed Read More »
UncategorizedThe author talks about what Roll the Bones covers, and gives a little of the publishing backstory.
The author talks about what Roll the Bones covers, and gives a… Read More »
book, gambling & culture, interviewShort-Stacked Shamus Reviews RTB:
“Roll the Bones: Casino Edition not only provides the reader much to consider regarding the origins of man’s gambling urge, but offers a thorough examination of the growth of gambling and casino culture over the last several centuries as well. Thus does Schwartz’s book not only give readers an idea of where gambling came from, but also where it has been, and even where it might be going….”
Read the whole review at betting.betfair.com
Short-Stacked Shamus Reviews RTB Read More »
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