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]
- The Louisiana Lottery headquarters in Honduras is driven out of business. [819.86]
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]
- June
- New York state passes an anti-gambling law stopping horse racing until pari-mutuels could be installed. [806.188]
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] [818.3]
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]
vvv advertisement vvv
^^^ advertisement ^^^
- New York state outlaws gambling. [807.11]
- Nevada state, USA, bans casinos. [807.11]
1911
-
- California outlaws slot machines. [39]
- Nevada legalizes whist and bridge card games. [187.353]
- American William Nelson Dornborough leaves Monte Carlo casino for good, after playing since 1904, with winnings of about 83,000 pounds (US$400,000), all won at roulette. [811.195]
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 bans all gambling. [818.3]
1915
-
- Nevada allows pari-mutuel betting at racetracks, all social games, and slot machines for prizes of goods or sums under $2. [818.3] (1913 [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. Gambling table games would be licensed at $75 per month each, and slot machines a $12.50 per month each. Cheating would be outlawed, and minor forbidden in gambling houses. [187.354] [823.35]
- March 9
- Nevada State Assembly passes gambling legalization bill, 24 votes to 11. [823.38]
- March 18
- The Nevada State Senate passes the gambling legalization bill. [823.39]
- 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] [818.4] (March 17 [429])
- March 20
- Las Vegas Mayor and commissioners pass an ordinance allowing gaming and operation of slot machines under city license. [818.6]
- March 21
- Clark County, Nevada, sets up a License Board to regulate gambling licenses. [818.10]
- Gambling houses in Ely, Nevada, re-open after being closed for 2.5 months. [823.39]
- April 1
- Clark County, Nevada, License Board approves first gaming licenses, first one to Meadows Casino; 25 licenses are awarded in the first day. [818.10]
- April 7
- Las Vegas awards first gaming licenses, first one to Boulder Club on Fremont Street; four licenses are awarded on the first day. [818.6]
- April 17
- Las Vegas sets a limit of 6 licenses for gaming houses, but no limit on slot machines. [818.7]
- (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 7
- The Clark County, Nevada, Licensing Board revokes the gaming license from Red Rooster Night Club for illegal liquor sales. [818.11]
- 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] [807.162]
- 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
- January 1
- Fiorello La Guardia becomes mayor of New York City, begining a campaign of ridding the city of slot machines. [806.170]
- (month unknown)
- 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
-
- Siam 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] [806.116]
- 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
- Thomas Hull opens the El Rancho Vegas hotel/casino opens on the Los Angeles Highway 91 outside Las Vegas, Nevada. Hull nicknames the stretch of highway the "Strip". [187.391] [762.84] [818.13]
- (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 hotel/casino on the Los Angeles Highway, Nevada. This is Las Vegas' first themed resort, with an Old West theme. [187.393] [386.141] [818.13]
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]
- Nevada state legislature amends the 1931 gambling law to require gaming operators to apply for state gaming licenses from the Nevada Tax Commission, rather than individual cities and counties, with 1 percent tax on gross receipts. [818.14] [823.51]
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]
- August 14
- Nevada Liquor and Licensing Board grants a gaming license to Nevada Project Incorporated, also known as the Flamingo Hotel, to be operated by Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel. [818.15]
- 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] [818.16] (1947 [39]) (December 24 [1009.11])
- 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
- January (month)
- Clark County, Nevada, approves a record 352 gaming licenses. [818.16]
- March 1
- In Las Vegas, Nevada, The Fabulous Flamingo Hotel & Casino re-opens. [129]
- June 20
- Death of Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, gangster, operator of the Flamingo Hotel/casino in Las Vegas, is shot dead in Beverly Hills, California. [1] [5] [129] [187.395]
- (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]
- Nevada state increases tax on gross receipts of gambling from 1 percent to 2 percent. [818.14] [823.51]
- September 23
- The Mounds Club in Cleveland, Ohio, is robbed by ten armed hooded men, taking an estimated $250,000 to $500,000. [806.124]
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]
- Gambling is legalized in Puerto Rico. [1010.55]
1949
-
- In South Africa, the Sports Pool Act prohibits sports pools. [80.342]
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