1858
-
- Monte Carlo opens in Monaco, by gambling operators forced from Hamburg. [39]
1860
-
- In California, all banking games (where player bets against the house) are banned. [39] [187.262]
- September 12
- Spaniard Thomas Garcia leaves the Kursaal casino with nearly 800,000 francs of the casino's reserve capital. [187.211]
1861
-
- Nevada sets a law against running or playing a game of chance. [187.351]
1863
- March
- François Blanc buys the Monaco casino resort concession for 1.5 million francs, valid until April 1, 1913. [187.300]
- September 27
- The united kingdom of Italy is proclaimed. The Lotto is made a legal source of national income. [80.235] [187.87]
1865
-
- Frenchman Pierre Oller creates a mathematical system for pooling bets and paying off winners, in proportion to the amount of money in the pool. [187.236]
- Nevada passes a law against running a game of chance. [187.351]
1866
-
- Louisiana passes a law requiring all lottery brokers to register with the state and pay 5 percent tax of profits. [187.342]
1868
- February
- Prussian Chamber passes law ordering all gambling stopped effective 11:00 PM, December 31, 1872. [187.213]
- (month unknown)
- The Louisiana Lottery Company (a criminal syndicate from New York) is authorized by the state and granted an exclusive 25-year charter. [39] [187.342]
1869
-
- Gambling is legalized in Nevada, with minimum age 17. A quarterly license fee is imposed on Storey County, set at US$250 in other counties. [39] [187.352]
- Louisiana allows an unlimited number of gambling houses to operate in New Orleans, for US$5,000 per year fee. [187.343]
1871
- October 8
- Great Chicago Fire kills 200, destroys over 4 square miles (10 square km) of Chicago buildings, and original Emancipation Proclamation. Three other major fires take place on the shores of Lake Michigan. (In 1944, the estate of Louis Cohn releases a letter claiming he knocked over a lantern in a barn while playing craps with friends.) [1] [80.147] [187.283] [565.104]
1872
-
- French chemist Pierre Oller devises pari-mutuel system of pooling betting stakes for equitable distribution among winners. [80.191]
- October
- Gambling centers in Ems and Wiesbaden, Germany, close by order of the Prussian government. [80.296] [187.213]
- December 31
- The casinos of Homburg, Germany, operate for the last time, shutting down on order of the Prussian government. [80.295] [187.199,213]
1873
-
- Joseph Jaggers of England wins 80,000 pounds at roulette at the Monte Carlo casino after a few weeks play, by exploiting subtle imperfections in the wheels that bias certain numbers. [187.313]
1875
-
- Nevada raises the legal gambling age to 21, sets the quarterly licensing fee to US$400 in all counties, outlaws three-card monte, and makes cheating a felony. [187.352]
1876
- August 2
- In Deadwood, South Dakota, James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok is shot dead (from behind) by Jack "Crooked Nose" McCall while playing poker, for no known reason. He reportedly held a pair of Aces and a pair of 8s. [1] [187.264] [565.79]
1877
-
- The first pari-mutuel betting in American horse-racing takes place at Morris and Jerome Park in New York. [86.164]
- Sports gambling scandal in USA: four Louisville Grays baseball players are found to have taken money from New York gambling ring to deliberately lose games. [187.338]
1878
-
- Pari-mutuel betting on horse-racing is introduced to Churchill Downs in Kentucky. [86.164]
1879
-
- In New Zealand, Ekberg invents the first mechanical totalizer, a hand-operated calculating machine for use in pari-mutuel betting system for horse racing. [187.236] (1880 [80.191])
1880
- April 24
- A bomb explodes in the Monte Carlo casino; many are wounded by glass, but no serious theft is carried out. [187.304]
- July 7
- The French national lottery completes funding for the Statue of Liberty, [418.44]
1881
-
- In New South Wales, George Adams begins offering a public sweepstakes. [187.233]
- In New Zealand, the Gaming and Lotteries Act passes, banning gaming houses, off-track totalizer betting, and most lotteries. [187.235,237]
- Missouri bans gambling. [187.263]
1885
-
- Gambling is outlawed in California. [187.263]
1887
- May 26
- Racetrack betting becomes legal in New York state. [1]
1889
-
- Great Britain outlaws gambling in areas of Africa under its control, except horse racing book making. [187.464]
1890
-
- US Congress passes a law outlawing delivery of lottery materials by the mail. [187.344]
1891
-
- A company in Brooklyn, New York, sells the first poker-playing slot machines. [187.330]
- July
- In Monte Carlo, Charles Deville Wells of England wins about 1 million francs at roulette. [565.89]
1892
-
- Hong Kong governor Sir William Robinson orders a halt to betting on horse races. [187.218]
- New South Wales criminalizes sweepstakes gambling. [187.233]
- July 9
- Canada's Criminal Code makes all gambling illegal, except small value (under $50) lottery raffles for charity organizations, carnival games of chance at agricultural fairs, and betting between individuals at legal racetracks. [187.240,461] [387.12]
1895
-
- In the USA, the Louisiana Lottery Company is abolished. Over 30 years, the private lottery took in US$300 million, paying out little. [39] [40.13] [187.344]
- Charles Fey, American mechanic, invents the first slot machine, called Liberty Bell, first used in a San Francisco gambling saloon. The machine employs three spinning reels, and costs 5-cents to operate. A window displays the selected symbol of each reel, and there are ten symbols on each reel. [39] [80.70] (1887 [87.203]) (1899 [187.331])
- US law bans interstate transportation of lottery materials. [187.344]
1896
-
- Tasmania passes the Suppression of Public Betting and Gaming Act, legalizing a government-sponsored lottery monopoly, Tattersalls, run by George Adams. [187.233]
1897
-
- The Swedish government starts a state lottery. [80.241]
1898
-
- In San Francisco, California, Charles Fey builds a slot machine with three reels called Card Bell, the first poker machine paying out in coins. [187.331]
1900
- July 18
- Canada's Criminal Code is amended to allow small lottery raffles up to $50 in prizes at religious and charity bazaars. [387.17]
1902
-
- Belgium makes new casinos illegal, allowing eight existing casinos to remain. [80.331] [187.470]
1903
-
- Luxembourg law forbids all kinds of gambling. [80.340]
- Nevada legalizes bookmaking on horse racing. [187.353]
1904
-
- Western Union officially ceases support of the race wire, firing racetrack correspondents and not sending race updates to pool rooms. [187.336]
1905
-
- Nevada legalizes mechanical slot machines for US$20 per machine per quarter license fee. [187.352]
1906
-
- Kentucky, USA, legalizes pari-mutuel betting at racetracks. [86.164]
1907
-
- French law authorizes public play of games of skill, including baccarat and chemin-de-fer games. [80.291] [187.316,468]
1908
- January 1
- Harry Bensley begins a walk around the world on a wager of $100,000 (21,000 pounds). The conditions imposed on him are to wear an iron mask for the entire journey, push a perambulator (baby crib), and marry while on the route. He sets out from Trafalgar Square in London, England. (Six years later, his walk ends due to outbreak of war in Europe.) [565.111]
1909
-
- Slot machines are declared illegal in San Francisco, California. [187.331]
- Nevada passes a law making it illegal to deal or play several games: poker, bridge, whist, fan-tan, faro, craps, to run a slot machine, or make book on horse races. [187.353]
1910
- May 4
- Canada's Criminal Code is amended to allow pari-mutuel betting on horse races and temporary games of chance if profits for charitable or religious purposes, or at agricultural fairs. [387.13]
- (month unknown)
- Herbert Mills produces the Operators Bell slot machine, based on Charles Fey's Liberty Bell, but with 20 symbols per reel, and a window showing three rows. [87.205]
- The province of Alberta, Canada, legalizes bingo games. [387.18]
1911
-
- California outlaws slot machines. [39]
- Nevada legalizes whist and bridge card games. [187.353]
1912
-
- Eugene Cornuché founds a casino at Deauville, France. [80.292] [187.319]
1913
-
- Australian railroad engineer George Julius devises an electromechanical totalizer, which becomes standard pari-mutuel betting device in Europe and Asia. [80.191] [187.237]
- Nevada allows all social games, and slot machines for goods or sums under $2. [187.353]
1915
-
- Nevada allows pari-mutuel betting at racetracks. [187.353]
1916
-
- Queensland Patriotic Fund (Australia) receives state approval to hold a Golden Casket lottery, to raise money to assist disabled veterans and widows and children of those killed in the world war. [80.331] [187.233]
1919
- February 5
- National League president John Heydler dismisses charges that Hal Chase bet against his team and threw games in collusion with gamblers. [1]
- October 1
- World Series #16 begins as a best of 9 affair, Chicago White Sox intentionally throw this series to satisfy gamblers (The Black Sox Scandal). [1]
1920
- May 20
- Policemen raid the Chicago Cubs' bleachers and arrest 24 fans for gambling. [1]
- (month unknown)
- Maryland, USA, legalizes racetrack-operated pari-mutuel gambling. [86.155,165]
- July 1
- Canada's Criminal Code is amended to allow pari-mutuel betting systems. [187.461]
1922
-
- At the Deauville Casino in France, the Greek Syndicate debuts. This group of five wealthy Greek gamblers banks only baccarat. Leader of the group is Nicolas Zographos, gifted with memory and odds-calculating. They challenge all comers with no limit play. [187.319]
1923
-
- Chilean finance minister Gustavo Ross beats the Greek Syndicate at baccarat for 17 million francs. [187.320]
1924
-
- In England, John Moores creates the world's first public postal soccer pool with credit betting. [80.96]
- Switzerland makes gambling on boule legal. [80.343]
1925
-
- In Chile, a law authorizes the University of Concepción to operate a lottery. [80.333]
1926
-
- Louisiana, USA, legalizes racetrack-operated pari-mutuel gambling. [86.155,165]
- Canadian Parliament strengthens the ban on dice games in the Criminal Code. [387.15]
1927
-
- Illinois, USA, legalizes racetrack-operated pari-mutuel gambling. [86.155,165] [187.336]
1928
-
- Chile legalizes public gambling at the Vina del Mar resort near Santiago. [80.333]
- Totalizer betting is made legal in Great Britain. [80.335]
- Russian law forbids all private gambling. [80.343]
- The Agua Caliente golf course and hotel complex with luxurious casino opens near Tijuana, Mexico. [187.385]
- November 4
- Arnold Rothstein is shot and killed in the Park Central Hotel in New York City, owing US$333,000 on a poker game. [80.322] [187.339]
1929
-
- New Zealand government begins an Art Union lottery pool. [187.238]
- December 1
- Game of BINGO invented by Edwin S Lowe. [1]
1930
-
- The Government of the Republic of Eire (Ireland) passes the Public Hospital Act, legalizing a lottery for the benefit of Irish hospitals. [39] [80.245]
- Bolivia makes gambling illegal in mining regions. [80.332]
1931
- February 13
- Phil Tobin introduces Assembly Bill 98 in Nevada legislature to allow licensed gambling on a variety of games. [187.354]
- March 19
- Nevada legalizes casino gaming and most other forms of gambling. Nevada Governor Fred Balzar signs into law Assembly Bill 98, allowing faro, monte, roulette, keno, fan-tan, twenty-one, blackjack, seven-and-a-half, big injun, klondike, craps, stud poker, draw poker, or any card, dice, machine, at licensed establishments. Licensing fees for social games is set at US$25 per table per month, $50 for each mercantile game, $10 for each slot machine. Legal gambling age set at 21. [1] [5] [39] [80.303] [86.6] [187.355] (March 17 [429])
- (month unknown)
- Massachusetts, USA decriminalizes bingo. [39]
- Florida legalizes pari-mutuel horse and greyhound race betting. [86.165]
- O.D. Jennings introduces the first electrically-powered slot machine, called "Electrojax". [87.206]
- New South Wales legalizes a state lottery. [187.459]
- July 21
- Reno, Nevada race track becomes first in US to use daily double wagering. [1]
1932
- January 14
- First totalisator (to record racetrack bets) in US installed, Hialeah. [1]
- May 7
- At the Churchill Downs racecourse near Louisville, Kentucky, the 58th Kentucky Derby horse race is held. Eugene James aboard Burgoo King wins in 2:05.2. Total legal betting on the race: US$277,000. [1] [80.186]
1933
-
- Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, West Virginia, and California legalize parimutuel betting. [39] [86.165]
- The French government allows casinos to run roulette and trente-et-quarante. The Société Française de Jeux establishes the Loterie Nationale, with a weekly lottery. [80.291] [187.323, 468]
- O.D. Jennings produces the "Little Duke" slot machine, with candy vending attachment on the side. [87.206]
- The German government legalizes gambling, re-opening the casino at Baden-Baden. [187.199,469]
- Austria begins licensing casinos at resorts. [187.469]
- Italian government introduces lottery connected with car race in Tripoli. [187.472]
1934
-
- In Sweden, a special authority is set up for betting on soccer matches. [80.342]
- Massachusetts and Rhode Island legalize pari-mutuel betting on horse racing. [86.165]
- O.D. Jennings produces the "Duchess Vendor" slot machine, with built-in candy dispenser. [87.206]
- In Teaneck, New Jersey, a 60,000-player game of bingo is held, the largest to date. [187.378]
- The Belgian government introduces the Colonial Lottery, a national lottery. [187.472]
1935
-
- Thailand gaming act authorizes gambling enterprizes with government license. [80.343]
- Florida legalizes pari-mutuel jai-alai betting. [86.165]
- US states Maine, Delaware, and Arkansas legalize pari-mutuel betting on horse racing. [86.165]
- O.D. Jennings introduces "The Chief" slot machine, setting the standard format for the US gambling industry for the next 30 years. The machine includes a slug rejector and an anti-overlap coin return device. [87.207]
- Harolds Club casino opens in Reno, Nevada. [187.358]
- Mexican President Lázaro Cárdenas orders an end to all gambling. [187.385]
- October
- New York gangster Dutch Schultz is killed by an unknown gunman. Schultz was head of the numbers racket, seldom paying winners. [80.247]
1936
- June
- Racehorse keno debuts at the Palace Club in Reno, Nevada. [187.358]
- (month unknown)
- In Israel, the Criminal Code Ordinance prohibits casinos, gaming houses, and lotteries. [80.338]
1937
- May
- Cal-Neva Lodge casino in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, burns to the ground. [187.362]
- (month unknown)
- Florida state legalizes pari-mutuel betting. [187.375]
- October 31
- Bill Harrah opens his first bingo parlor in Reno, Nevada, USA. [386.327]
- Year
- Total US government revenue from legal pari-mutuel horse racing: US$9 million. [500.S1]
1938
-
- Bolivia makes gambling illegal in all of the country. [80.332]
- Year
- Total US government revenue from legal pari-mutuel horse racing in 16 states: US$9.7 million. [500.S1]
1939
-
- South Africa gambling act declares pin-tables, slot machines, and lotteries illegal. [80.342]
- November
- New York voters approve amending the state constitution to allow pari-mutuel gambling on horse races. [86.165]
1940
- May 15
- In Italy, a law allows totalizator betting on horse and dog racing. [80.339]
- (month unknown)
- New York state legislation enables pari-mutuel horse race betting. [86.165]
1941
- April 3
- The El Rancho Vegas hotel/casino opens on the Los Angeles Highway outside Las Vegas, Nevada. This starts the "Las Vegas Strip". [187.391]
- (month unknown)
- Nevada legislature passes law allowing race books (poolrooms). [187.366]
1942
- July 18
- First legal New Jersey horse race in 50 years; Garden State Park track opens. [1]
- October 30
- R.E. Griffith opens the Hotel Last Frontier on the Los Angeles Highway, Nevada. This is Las Vegas' first themed resort, with an Old West theme. [187.393] [386.141]
1943
- March 8
- Limited gambling legalized in Mexico. [1]
1944
-
- Argentina's president closes all private casinos. The government places the responsibility for running national casinos in the hands of the National Lottery Administration. [187.462]
1945
-
- Wilbur Clark opens the Monte Carlo Club gambling club in Las Vegas, Nevada. [187.396]
1946
- June 5
- At the Epsom Downs racecourse near London, England, the annual Derby horse race is held. An American millionaire bets US$6000 on a long shot horse at 50 to 1 odds, winning US$300,000. [80.185]
- June 20
- Bill Harrah opens Harrah's Club in Las Vegas. [386.327]
- (month unknown)
- Guy McAfee opens the Golden Nugget casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. [187.367]
- Brazil outlaws casinos. [187.462]
- December 26
- Gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel opens the Flamingo hotel and casino on the desert highway between Las Vegas and the McCarren airport. Cost was nearly $6 million, on an initial budget of $1 million. The casino initially loses money, and closes within a month. [1] [80.303] [129] [187.395] [386.10] (1947 [39])
- Year
- Total amount spent on legal betting in the USA: US$500 million. [80.86]
- Total amount spent in Great Britain on greyhound racing: US$1.2 billion. [80.200]
1947
- March 1
- In Las Vegas, Nevada, The Fabulous Flamingo Hotel & Casino re-opens. [129]
- (month unknown)
- Hungary state bank starts a soccer betting pool. [80.337]
- In Mexico, the Federal Gambling and Raffles bans all forms of gambling, unless authorized by the federal government. [80.340] [187.463] [238.37]
1948
- April
- In Italy, a legislative decree controls betting pools on soccer and horse racing. [80.339]
- (month unknown)
- German municipalities at Bad Durkheim and Bad Neuenahr open legal gambling houses. [187.469]
1949
-
- In South Africa, the Sports Pool Act prohibits sports pools. [80.342]
|
