1952
-
- The Sahara hotel and casino opens in Las Vegas, Nevada. [80.304]
- Malaya law prohibits lotteries, with exceptions. [80.340]
- December
- The Sands hotel and casino opens in Las Vegas. [80.304] [187.400] [386.290]
- Year
- In Norway, total spending on the state lottery is US$6.9 million. [80.341]
1953
-
- Malaya law prohibits gambling houses and other forms of public gambling. [80.340]
1954
-
- 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]
- The Japanese government abandons its national lottery. [187.450]
- December 25
- Rhythm and blues recording star Johnny Ace dies offstage during a show in Houston, Texas, by playing and losing at Russian Roulette. [1] [467]
- Year
- Total government income from Lotto lottery in Italy: US$45 million. [80.235]
1955
- April 19
- The Royal Nevada casino opens on Highway 91 in Nevada. [187.398]
- April 20
- The Riviera casino opens on Highway 91 in Nevada. [187.398] [386.26]
- May
- The Dunes hotel and casino opens on the Las Vegas strip, Nevada. [187.298a] [386.61]
- (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
-
- 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]
- New South Wales legalizes slot machines, called poker machines or pokies. [187.459]
1957
- March
- In Hungary, a soccer betting pool is introduced. [80.243]
- April
- The Tropicana hotel and casino opens in Las Vegas. [386.174]
- (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]
- The Soviet Union begins lotteries for cash and merchandise. [187.473]
- July 2
- The Stardust hotel opens in Las Vegas, with 105-foot long pool, 16,500 square foot casino, and world's largest electric sign. [386.230]
- December
- A state-sponsored soccer betting pool is started in Greece. [80.337]
1959
-
- The Las Vegas Annual Tournament of Champions golf game is held. Total amount in bettors pool: US$285,000. Golf winner Stan Leonard results in record pool payout of US$95,760 to winning bettor. [80.99]
- The New Zealand government legalizes gambling on bingo (housie). [80.340] [187.461]
- The Casino di Liban opens in Beirut, Lebanon. [187.459]
- July 9
- A roulette table at El San Juan Hotel in Puerto Rico lands the ball at "10" six times in a row, the first recorded time of this occurrence. [565.158]
- 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] [187.467]
- June 17
- Fire consumes the El Rancho Vegas casino resort, on the Las Vegas Strip. [386.31]
- (month unknown)
- In Great Britain, the Betting and Gaming Act comes into force, legalizing off-course bookmaking. [80.272] [187.471]
- O.D. Jennings introduces the "Buckaroo" slot machine, with four reels. [87.206]
- Casino/resort operators on the Las Vegas Boulevard agree to abandon segregationist policies. [187.401]
- 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 district attorney 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]
- European lotteries band together and form the European Football Pool and establish the International Football Cup. [187.468]
- September 29
- In Cuba, Fidel Castro announces casino gambling would henceforth be illegal in Havana. [187.385]
- 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, total spent on lotteries: US$1.3 million. [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]
- 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] [187.387]
- 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]
- (month unknown)
- Bally Manufacturing introduces the Money Honey slot machine, considered the first modern slot machine. It features a 2500-coin hopper, and electronic workings. [187.479]
- Nevada Electronics produces the first game combining electronics with video display, the Automatic Blackjack game. [187.480]
1964
- March 12
- The first legal lottery in the USA in the twentieth century is the New Hampshire Sweepstakes. Draws are held twice per year, at a cost of $3 per ticket. The lottery commission pays US$500,000 to the IRS as a ten percent wagering excise tax. [5] [39] [86.6] [187.387]
1965
-
- South Africa passes the Gambling Act, forbidding all lotteries, sports betting, and games of chance. [187.465]
- July
- The Franklin Mint begins producing metal $1 tokens for Harrah's, to replace US silver dollars. (By the end of the year, the Mint is supplying five other Nevada gaming casinos as well.) [508.14]
- (month unknown)
- Cunard Line adds roulette and blackjack as well as slot machines to its Franconia cruises of the Canary Islands. [73.32]
1966
-
- New York general election favors introducing a lottery. [86.56]
- Caesars Palace hotel, casino, convention center opens on Highway 91 in Nevada. [187.407]
1967
-
- New York becomes the second state to sponsor a lottery in the USA. [39]
- South Korea allows casinos to be opened in hotels, catering primarily to Japanese and Taiwanese visitors. [187.456]
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] [187.471]
- October 18
- Circus Circus hotel/casino opens on Las Vegas Boulevard, Nevada. [1] [187.408]
1969
- June 27
- The Canadian government changes the criminal code to allow provinces to operate and licence lotteries and slot machines. [40.19] [187.462] (1970 [387.13])
- (month unknown)
- Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman awards the nation's only casino license to the Genting Highlands resort. [187.457]
- The Edmonton Fairgrounds in Alberta, Canada, includes a "Klondike Village", with legal "casino" consisting of five blackjack tables with $5 bet limit. At the end of ten days, revenue is $25,000. [387.17]
- July 2
- The International resort/casino opens in Las Vegas Boulevard, Nevada. With 1500 rooms, it is the world's largest hotel, with the world's largest casino, at 29,000 square feet. [187.420]
1970
- February 1
- In Canada, Loto-Québec is set up. [387.150]
- March 14
- In Canada, Quebec is the first province to launch a legal lottery. The Inter Plus lottery offers a CDN$150,000 grand prize for $2 tickets. [40.19]
- April 22
- New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller signs into law a package of revenue aids for New York City, including off-track betting. [86.170] [187.373]
- (month unknown)
- New Jersey authorizes a state lottery. [86.101]
- New York state lottery awards the first US$1 million jackpot. [187.388]
- The first Binion's World Series of Poker is held at The Horseshoe casino in Las Vegas. Johnny Moss is the winner. [187.413]
- December 16
- New Jersey State Lottery begins sale of 50-cent tickets in a weekly lottery on a drawn 6-digit number. This is a big improvement over monthly and higher cost lotteries of New Hampshire and New York. [86.57] [187.388] (1971 [39])
1971
- March 17
- Edward Henry of Morristown, New Jersey, is first person to win US$1 million in a State lottery. [86.57]
- April 8
- First legal off-track betting system begins (OTB-New York). [1]
- (month unknown)
- Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania authorize state lotteries. [86.101]
- The second World Series of Poker is held in Las Vegas. Johnny Moss is the winner. [187.413]
- At a concert by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention in Montreaux casino's showroom, a fan fires a flare gun, which results in burning down the entire casino. Members of Deep Purple witness the blaze, and later record "Smoke on the Water" about the incident. [187.468]
1972
- February 7
- Morocco issues a 25-centimes postage stamp promoting the creation of the national lottery. [143.1074]
- (month unknown)
- Maryland and Michigan authorize state lotteries. [86.101]
- November 6
- Upper Volta issues a 35-franc postage stamp for the 5th anniversary of the National Lottery. [700.1243]
- November
- New Jersey begins a daily drawn lottery. [86.58] [187.388]
1973
- May 13
- Tennis hustler Bobby Riggs, age 55, beats Margaret Smith Court 6-2, 6-1 in a Mother's Day match at San Diego Country Estate in California, USA. Riggs wins a $5000 bet that he could win. [1] [565.195]
- (month unknown)
- In the USA, the Commission on the Review of National Policy toward Gambling is created to study gambling in the United States. [39]
- Delaware and Ohio authorize state lotteries. [86.101]
- The Wrest Point Hotel Casino opens in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia's first legal casino. [187.460]
- July 5
- The MGM Grand Hotel opens in Las Vegas, built at a cost of US$107 million. It features 2100 rooms, Jai-alai fronton, and 1200-seat showroom. [386.309]
- September 6
- New York Times reports almost all Superfecta harness racing run at Yonkers, Roosevelt and Monticello from January to March of 1973 were fixed. [1]
- September 12
- Two bettors win the largest US Daily Double (US$19,909.60 in Detroit, Michigan). [1]
- November 8
- Nevada approves pari-mutuel betting on Jai Alai. [1]
1974
- March 6
- An Italian loses a record US$1,920,000 at roulette in Monte Carlo. [1]
- April 15
- The first Olympic lottrery draw is held in Canada. Nine winners share the CDN$1 million top prize, while one person wins the $500,000 second prize. [40.87]
- May 28
- Massachusetts State Lottery begins selling first instant game lottery tickets (latex-covered scratch-off area). [86.58] [187.389]
- June 21
- The Western Canada Lottery Corporation is established in Canada, serving Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon Territory, and Northwest Territories. [387.150]
- (month unknown)
- Holland America Line adds a Slot Machine Room to the Rotterdam cruise ship. [73.32]
- Home Lines adds a Slot Machine Room to the Oceanic cruise ship. [73.32]
- Illinois, Maine, and Rhode Island authorize state lotteries. [86.101]
- New Jersey referendum on government-owned/operated casinos in the state fails by 3-to-2 margin. [86.177]
- Gamex Industries develops one of the first electronic slot machines. [87.14]
- The Nevada Gaming Control Board lowers the state tax on sports bets to be paid by sports books from 10 to 2 percent. [328.34]
- October 23
- Austria issues a postage stamp marking the 25th anniversary of the Austrian Sports Pool lottery. [700.652]
- Year
- In the USA, total bingo wagering estimated at US1.7 billion. [86.48]
- In the USA, total state lottery gross sales: US$681 million. [86.131]
- In the USA, total legal gambling: US$17.3 billion. [86.241]
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