Nevada is well known as one of the most famous gambling states in the world, in large part because of the fame and cult status of Las Vegas.
The city is commonly marketed as the entertainment capital of the world. Besides gambling venues, it’s famous as an attractive tourist destination because of its vibrant and colorful atmosphere. The city hosts some of the most exciting and immersive New Year’s celebrations and is home to countless entertainment venues, frequent concerts, theatrical plays, and various animated shows.
Nonetheless, everyone thinks of gambling as synonymous with Vegas – and rightfully so. In an effort to combat the depression-era crisis, as per this guide, gambling in Nevada was legalized in 1931 bringing in gaming money to the state.
Today, it’s safe to say that Nevada’s “project” worked, but you may find it surprising that Las Vegas wasn’t always the gambling capital of the Silver State. As you read on, we’ll elaborate on this fact, and uncover more interesting information about Nevada’s rich and centuries-old gambling history.
- Gambling in Nevada Was Banned Even Before it Was a State
In the early 1860s, Nevada was a territory, rather than a state. However, gambling was a prominent past-time even in those years. The famous Sierra Nevada mountain range attracted prospectors from across the country for exploration and gold searching. These same prospectors loved to participate in games of chance.
In 1861, at the start of Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, James Nye was appointed as governor. Nye had a strong conviction against gambling and introduced harsh fines for gambling participation in the territory’s legislature.
Unfortunately for James Nye, his legislative efforts were mostly ineffective. In 1864, there was a failed legislative attempt to legalize gambling in Nevada, but in 1869, most forms of gambling became decriminalized. In 1909, however, legislation took another swing, and legislation was passed to ban nearly all types of gambling in the state.
- The Depression Era Was the Catalyst For the Nevada Boom
In the 1930s, the USA was feeling the consequences of The Great Depression. Nevada lawmakers were scrambling ideas for a financial bounce-back, and Phil Tobin proposed Assembly Bill 98, also known as the “Wide Open Gambling” bill.
The bill was passed into law in March of 1931, and then most forms of gambling became legal in Nevada. Thus, players no longer needed to hide in illegal gambling parlors. Finally, gambling could be taken to the mainstream, which marked the beginning of the Nevada gambling boom.
- Reno Was the Initial Gambling Capital of Nevada
From 1931 until the early 1940s, Reno was in the spotlight for its famous casinos and entertainment venues. Bill Harrah was the first to open a bingo club in Reno, and most players flocked there to indulge in legal gambling.
While Las Vegas was not completely barren then, it was merely a pit stop for travelers, rather than a notable destination. However, it wasn’t long before numerous investors and people of influence saw the potential in Las Vegas.
Coinciding with the proximity of the Boulder Dam (later known as Hoover Dam) project to Las Vegas, when thousands of workers traveled and stayed in Vegas, many casino venues began to appear. Among the first were the Boulder Club, Northern Club, and the Las Vegas Club. This marked the point of Las Vegas taking over the spotlight from Reno as the gambling hub of Nevada.
- The Oldest Casino in Vegas Has Been Active For 116 Years
You read that one right, and it’s quite the feat of resilience. The oldest casino in Las Vegas is the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino. Its original name was Hotel Nevada, and also the Miller Hotel for a brief period of time.
The Golden Gate Casino opened its doors to patrons in 1906 but was closed until 1931 because of the gambling ban in 1909. Today, Golden Gate is still one of the most attractive gambling venues in Vegas, holding over 12,243 sq ft of gaming space. It contains thousands of slots, table games, and even dancing dealers.
Just to illustrate how impressive this fact is, the 2nd oldest Vegas casino is El Cortez, which was established “only” in 1941.
- Online Gambling Was Never Legal in Nevada
This may sound counter-intuitive for what is known as the casino capital of the US, and the world. However, casino online gambling in Nevada was never legal and still isn’t, even though it’s slowly becoming commonplace across the States.
New Jersey was the first state to legalize online gambling in 2013, followed by Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Connecticut, Delaware, and Michigan. More states are soon to follow, but there’s no word on Nevada legislation yet.
Lawmakers may fear that casino online gambling in Nevada may cut into the profits of brick-and-mortar establishments and reduce the allure of Vegas as a physical tourist attraction. However, online sports betting and online poker have been legal in Las Vegas for many years now, and we believe it’s only a matter of time before online casinos enter this equation as well.
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