References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2008 June 28.

start-1900

1901-1939

1940-1969

1970-1984

1985-end

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] 1942 July 18 First legal New Jersey horse race in 50 years; Garden State Park track opens. [1] 1943 March 8 Limited gambling legalized in Mexico. [1] 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] December 26 Gangster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel opens the Flamingo hotel and casino on the desert highway between Las Vegas and the McCarren airport. [1] [80.303] (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 (month unknown) Hungary state bank starts a soccer betting pool. [80.337] Mexico law prohibits public gambling. [80.340] 1948 April In Italy, a legislative decree controls pools on soccer and horse racing. [80.339] 1949 (month unknown) In South Africa, the Spotrs Pool Act prohibits sports pools. [80.342] 1950 April 26 Last horse race at Havre de Grace Track in Maryland is run. [1] (month unknown) Voters in California, Montana, Arizona, and Massachusetts vote against legal casino gaming. [39] The Desert Inn hotel and casino opens in Las Vegas. [80.304] New Zealand legalizes off-track betting on horse racing, only through the Totalization Agency Board. [80.340] 1951 February 3 Largest purse to date in horse racing, $144,323, won by Great Circle. [1] (month unknown) A man from Coventry, England, bets (the equivalent of) 14 cents on the accumulator on four horses at 60,640-to-1 odds, winning US$8500, the highest recorded odds-against win. [80.198] O.D. Jennings introduces the "Tic-Tac-Toe" slot machine, with first multi-line paying on two diagonal lines and three straight lines. [87.207] July 14 First color telecast of a sporting event (CBS-horse race). [1] Citation becomes first horse to win $1,000,000 in races. [1] 1952 (month unknown) The Sahara hotel and casino opens in Las Vegas, Nevada. [80.304] The Sands hotel and casino opens in Las Vegas, Nevada. [80.304] Malaya law prohibits lotteries, with exceptions. [80.340] Year In Norway, total spending on the state lottery is US$6.9 million. [80.341] 1953 (month unknown) Malaya law prohibits gambling houses and other forms of public gambling. [80.340] 1954 (month unknown) In Canada, an Act of Parliament makes all gambling houses, casinos, clubs, betting shops, etc. illegal with certain exceptions. [80.332] In Czechoslovakia, a national lottery is started. [80.333] The O.D. Jennings slot machine company is bought by TJM Corp. [87.207] Year Total government income from Lotto lottery in Italy: US$45 million. [80.235] 1955 (month unknown) Japan bans private bookmaking. [80.339] August 4 In Italy, a decree controls state lotteries. [80.339] Year In Australia, US$526 million is bet on horse and dog races. [80.330] In Australia, US$62 million is spent on lottery tickets. [80.330] 1956 (month unknown) In England, a government-run lottery is introduced. [80.241] In Ireland, a gaming and lotteries law is enacted. [80.338] Portugal law legalizes on-track totalizator gambling at horse races. [80.342] 1957 March In Hungary, a soccer pool is introduced. [80.243] (month unknown) The 91st Irish Hospital Sweepstakes is held, tied to the Grand National horse race in England. 6455 prize winners are paid US$7.5 million; first prize is US$1.05 million. [80.245] In Czechoslovakia, two sports betting pools are started. [80.334] Hungary state bank starts a lottery. [80.337] Year In New Zealand, total betting on horse racing amounts to US$130 million. [80.340] 1958 May 3 At Churchill Downs racecourse near Louisville, Kentucky, the 84th Kentucky Derby race is held. Ismael Valenzuela aboard Tim Tam wins in 2:05. Total gambling bets on the race: US$1,635,500. [1] [80.185] (month unknown) Portugal permits casinos at specific locations. [80.342] December A state-sponsored soccer betting pool is started in Greece. [80.337] 1959 (month unknown) The Las Vegas Annual Tournament of Champions golf game is held. Total amount in bettors pool: US$285,000. Golf winner Stan Leonard resulted in record pool payout of US$95,760 to winning bettor. [80.99] New Zealand legalizes gambling on bingo. [80.340] Year in Chile, total betting on horse racing totals US$17 million. [80.333] 1960 June The first casino opens in Ghana, the Casino Africa, at the Ambassador Hotel in Accra. [80.335] (month unknown) In Great Britain, the Betting and Gaming Act comes into force, legalizing off-course bookmaking. [80.272] O.D. Jennings introduces the "Buckaroo" slot machine, with four reels. [87.206] Year Total amount of legal bets on horse racing in the USA: US$3 billion. [80.188] Total New York state bets on all forms of animal racing: over US$1 billion. [80.205] In Belgium, total betting on horse racing totals US$13.6 million. [80.331] In Canada, total pari-mutuel betting on horse races through the Department of Agriculture: US$141.4 million. [80.333] 1961 March 17 New York DA arrests professional gamblers who implicate Seton Hall players. [1] (month unknown) Cunard Line begins a trial of twenty slot machines on the Queen Mary liner. [73.32] Year Total amount spent on legal soccer pools: Scandinavia US$150 million, Australia US$240 million, Great Britain US$333 million. [80.95] Total New York state bets on all forms of animal racing: over US$1 billion. [80.205] In Austria, US$1.3 million is spent on lotteries. [80.331] In Austria, government tax revenue from casinos totals US$1.9 million. [80.331] In Japan, total betting on horse racing totals US$93.3 million. [80.339] In Sweden, total betting on soccer matches amounts to US$38.4 million. [80.342] In Sweden, US$55.6 million is spent on the national lottery. [80.342] In West Germany, total gambling enterprise income is US$425 million, giving the government tax revenue of US$71.25 million. [80.345] 1962 April The Isle of Man passes a law permitting gambling casinos. [80.76] June 24 Total legal betting on Longchamps horse race in France: US$4 million. [80.186] July 7 Bill Hartack becomes 8th jockey to win 3,000 horse races. [1] Year Total spending in the USA on legal pari-mutuel greyhound racing: US$500 million. [80.200] Total state lottery income in France: US$50 million, total payout US$128 million. [80.238] In Sweden, total betting on horse racing amounts to US$77 million. [80.342] Total quantity of Swedish lottery ticket sales: 17,980,000. [80.241] In Finland, total state income from soccer betting pools is US$18 million. [80.334] In France, total betting on off-track legal pari-mutuel totals US$520 million. [80.334] Total betting amounts spent in Great Britain: horse races: US$1.5 billion, soccer pools: US$239 million, greyhound racing: US$322 million, bingo: US$84 million, premium bonds: US$43 million. [80.336] In Italy, US$81 million is bet on the state lottery, which pays out US$37 million in prizes. [80.338] In Poland, total spending on the national lottery amounts to US$40 million. [80.341] In Norway, total spending on the state lottery is US$18 million. [80.341] 1963 January Actor Sean Connery bets on the number 17 for three consecutive spins of the roulette wheel at Saint Vincent casino in Italy, winning all three times, for a total of US$30,000. [80.227] March The governor of New Hampshire, USA, authorizes a state lottery. [80.246] April In the USA, New Hampshire establishes a state lottery. [80.344] June 30 Total legal betting on Longchamps horse race in France: US$7 million. [80.186] 1964 March 12 The first legal lottery in the USA in the twentieth century is the New Hampshire Sweepstakes. [39] [86.6] 1965 (month unknown) Cunard Line adds roulette and blackjack as well as slot machines to its Franconia cruises of the Canary Islands. [73.32] 1966 (month unknown) New York general election favors introducing a lottery. [86.56] 1967 (month unknown) New York becomes the second state to sponsor a lottery in the USA. [39] 1968 May In Canada, Montreal Mayor Jean Drapeau introduces a "voluntary tax": for CDN$2, taxpayers get a chance to win $150,000 in silver. The scheme lasts for several draws before the Canadian government shuts it down. [40.19] (month unknown) In Great Britain, the Gaming Act gives the British Gaming Board the right to issue a certificate to run a casino, and the right to refuse to issue a certificate with no reason given. [86.80] October 18 Circus Circus hotel/casino opens in Las Vegas, Nevada. [1] 1969 (month unknown) The Canadian government changes the criminal code to allow provinces to operate and licence lotteries. [40.19]