For this week’s Green Felt Journal, I offer you an 800-word version of the 10,000-word paper I presented at the International Conference on Gambling and Risk-Taking. It’s my attempt to assess whether the mid-decade spate of mergers was good for anyone…and from what I’ve discovered, it looks like the answer is “not really.” From Vegas […]
Casino Concentration and the Logic of Empire | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenAuthor David G. Schwartz summarizes chapter 11, “The Sky’s the Limit: Las Vegas reaches for the stars,” of Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling (Casino Edition).
This chapter starts with the arrival of Jay Sarno, a true casino visionary who built Caesars Palace and Circus Circus. It then covers the impact on Las Vegas of an even more eccentric figure, Howard Hughes. From there, it discuses the corporate gaming acts, Kirk Kerkorian, the origins of the World Series of Poker, and several personalities who came to prominence in Downtown Las Vegas, including Steve Wynn, Jackie Gaughan, and Sam Boyd.
For more information about the book, visit http://www.rollthebonesbook.com
If you don’t see a video, please go here: http://youtu.be/Uxo63Wrx6Ns
Author David G. Schwartz summarizes chapter 11, “The… Read More »
life in vegas, videoFor the first half of the 20th century, Edward Riley Bradley’s Beach Club, located in Palm Beach, was the finest illegal gambling establishment in Florida and, some would argue, the entire country.
You can read more about illegal casinos (and legal ones too) in Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.
Go here to read an excerpt from the book, or learn where to buy your copy.
The (illegal) Beach Club shines Read More »
fromthebookAuthor David G. Schwartz summarizes chapter 10, “A Place in the Sun: The Las Vegas Strip is Born,” of Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling (Casino Edition).
This chapter covers the development of the Strip from the 1941 opening of the El Rancho Vegas into the 1960s. It discusses pioneers like Thomas Hull, Bill Moore, and Billy Wilkerson, and the infamous Bugsy Siegel who muscled Wilkerson out of the Flamingo casino.
It also explains the three factors that gave mob-connected casinos an advantage (for a time) in Las Vegas, discusses syndicate ownership as exemplified by the Desert Inn, and takes on topics as varied as the Rat Pack, the development of skill play and card-counting, and the desegregation of the Strip and Downtown.
If you don’t see a video, go here: http://youtu.be/5PwpS528RLc
Author David G. Schwartz summarizes chapter 10, “A Place… Read More »
videoThe French Chamber of Deputies passed an edict on June 1, 1836 that would ban gambling in France, effective December 31, 1837.
You can read the story of how gambling returned to France 80 years later, and much more, in Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.
Go here to read an excerpt from the book, or learn where to buy your copy.
The French Prohibition Read More »
fromthebookBusy week, so I’m just posting this week’s Green Felt Journal about the EB-5 program, which is changing Las Vegas: “Invest In Your American Dream,” reads the text next to a photo of the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. The words are quickly replaced by “LAS VEGAS EB5 IMMIGRATION CENTER IS YOUR BEST CHOICE,”
Investing in America | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenIn the 1930s, North Shore Lake Tahoe’s Cal-Neva Lodge, owned by James McKay and William Graham, was notorious for reportedly hosting gangsters like Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd.
Learn more about the Cal-Neva, which was later owned by Frank Sinatra, in Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.
Go here to read an excerpt from the book, or learn where to buy your copy.
Cal-Neva Confidential Read More »
fromthebookThe earliest federal recognition of tribes’ right to offer gambling on their reservations dates from 1924, but gambling geared towards non-Indians didn’t really get started for another 50 years.
You can learn more about Indian gaming in Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.
Go here to read an excerpt from the book, or learn where to buy your copy.
A slow start for Indian gaming Read More »
fromthebookWhat better way to celebrate Memorial Day than by watching the author summarize chapter 9, “Hard to Resist,” of Roll the Bones? Certainly, there are several, but watching the video won’t be the least fun way to spend your next five minutes. In it, I talk about all sorts of fun things contained in this chapter, which covers the development of legal commercial gambling in Nevada. You can even learn my favorite quirk of Nevada’s 1869 gambling law and the real reason that Harolds Club made it into the book.
If you don’t see a video, you can watch it here: http://youtu.be/doNK7FHREd0
As always, for more info about the book, including how to order and plenty of videos, facts, and samples from Roll the Bones, visit http://rollthebonesbook.com.
What better way to celebrate Memorial Day than by watching the… Read More »
videoThe 1980 MGM Grand fire is perhaps the most famous casino disaster in history, but the August 13, 1785 blaze that destroyed a wing of Spa’s Redoute casino was just as catastrophic in its day, particularly since burning playing cards blown by a strong wind landed on the roofs of nearby houses, spreading the fire. But the Redoute recovered.
You can learn more about Spa 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.
The Spa Casino Disaster Read More »
fromthebookAuthor David G. Schwartz discusses Chapter 8, “Wise Guys & One-Armed Bandits,” of Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling (Casino Edition).
This chapter covers the rise of Saratoga Springs as a racing and gambling center, the invention of slot machines, and the development of gambling syndicates throughout the nation. These groups dominated illegal gambling in the cities they controlled and were a precursor of the larger organized crime groups that took over during Prohibition.
Finally, it discusses the growth of illegal casinos throughout the United States, legal casinos in Cuba and Tijuana, and the Kefauver Committee, whose reforming zeal closed down illegal operations in many states.
If you don’t see the video, go here: http://youtu.be/0QZ0nmBekGI
For more information about the book, including where to buy it, visit http://rollthebonesbook.com/.
Author David G. Schwartz discusses Chapter 8, “Wise Guys… Read More »
videoFlorestan, the first of his name, prince of Monaco (but not the Andals or the First Men) issued an edict on April 26, 1856, that permitted a pair of developers to begin constructing a “bathing establishment” in his principality. That establishment would eventually become the Monte Carlo casino.
There’s plenty more about Monte Carlo in Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.
Go here to read an excerpt from the book, or learn where to buy your copy.
I’ve been wanting to write more about Macau, which is such a huge gambling story, for a while, and when given a feature slot for Vegas Seven, jumped on the chance to talk about Macau’s impact on Las Vegas. The result is this week’s cover story: Back in the early days—2006 or so—American executives signing
The History of Our Future | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenAmong Stanley Ho’s possessions in Macau (in addition to his many casinos) is the Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Center, which at the time of its construction was the tenth-highest tower in the world.
You can learn more about Stanley Ho’s career in Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.
Go here to read an excerpt from the book, or learn where to buy your copy.
A form of lotto was played in China as early as the tenth century AD, over 500 years before it appeared in Italy.
You can learn much more about the history of Chinese 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.
Last Sunday, on a short deadline for my Green Felt Journal, I suddenly got inspired. I recalled that Caribbean Stud Poker no longer had a separate line item in the monthly Gaming Revenue Report (these things apparently stick in my head), and figured, that’s got to be worth a column. Some digging for numbers and
One Game’s Wild Ride | Vegas Seven Read More »
Vegas SevenOne of the most important figures in 1940s Las Vegas gambling got his start on the right side of the law, crossed over to the wrong side, and then came back. Guy McAfee was a vice squad commander in the Los Angeles Police Department, who, it was discovered, had ownership interests in several illegal casinos. Resigning rather than facing corruption charges, he moved to Las Vegas, where he was involved with several legal casinos. He’s best known as the founder of the Golden Nugget.
There’s lots more about the early figures of Las Vegas 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.
Video summary of Chapter 7, “Fools of Fortune,” in Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling (Casino Edition).
This chapter covers the spread of gambling throughout urban America during the 19th century, starting with the first urban gambling houses and ending with “trade stimulators” throughout the small towns of America. Topics covered include wolf traps and other early gambling houses, New York City faro houses, John Morrissey, Chicago gambling, Midwestern gambling houses, and professional gamblers.
If you don’t see a video, watch it on YouTube.
Video summary of Chapter 7, “Fools of Fortune,” in Roll… Read More »
videoYou might know Moby Dick as a seminal 19th century American novel. Or, if your tastes run that way, a John Bonham drum solo vehicle. But it was also the name of a seafood restaurant at the Stardust that opened in the late 1950s.
There’s plenty more about casino restaurants (but, regrettably, not much about cetaceans) in Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.
Go here to read an excerpt from the book, or learn where to buy your copy.
Moby Dick on the Strip Read More »
fromthebookA winning streak helped to make Bad Homburg’s reputation as one of Europe’s elite gambling resorts. In September 1852, the Prince of Canino, Charles Lucien Bonaparte, won more than a half-million francs from that spa town’s casino. The big win gave the casino plenty of “free” publicity, though, and in the end helped draw more visitors to the town.
You can learn more about Bad Homburg and other 19th century spas in Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling.
Go here to read an excerpt from the book, or learn where to buy your copy.