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Casino and Gambling Facts: 11 Unbelievable Things You Didn’t Know

Today’s topic is fun and a little bit crazy because we’re going to talk about some unbelievable casino and gambling facts!

Throughout the years, the casino and gambling industry has shown us that it is complex and multilayered. We’ve seen in movies how these buildings are known for their grandeur and opulent design, including those in Las Vegas.

The unwritten standards of casino etiquette and the grace and class of the croupiers are examples of this. Going back to the movies, we might expect the customers to be dressed in glamorous suits and dresses, with their hair done and their shoes polished.

The casino and gambling world is about being impulsive, achieving your goals, taking chances, and getting what you deserve, but there’s more to the story, and those who appreciate it know. You need to make plans, prove that you’re intelligent, and anticipate somebody else’s moves. You have to be patient, controlled, and calculated so that you can go home with the big prize.

So, what does this industry have that draws people like moths to flames? What about the thrill of engaging in pleasures that were previously off-limits? These are the questions we try to answer in today’s article because this story is all about the craziest casino and gambling facts. Let’s get the games started!

casino and gambling
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1. The roulette wheel and the number 666

Roulette is one of the most popular games in every casino and gambling station, and the numbers on the wheel equal 666. Some people thought that it was only a rumor trying to scare people off the casinos, but it’s true.

In the Bible, the number 666 is considered to be the “number of the beast,” and this made people refer to roulette as the Devil’s Wheel. What do you think about this?

2. Nevada prisons and a casino for inmates

Everybody knows that the casino and gambling industry is important for Nevada and that it makes it special and desirable, but how far can you go for that?

I’ll let you answer this question. Nevada is so dependent on gambling that it housed a casino within the Nevada State Prison for 35 years.

The casino was shut down by a warden in 1967, but until then, prisoners were able to wager on sports and play games like poker, craps, and blackjack on the prison property.

3. Longest poker game in history

If that’s not dedication at its finest, I don’t know what is. Some people at the Bird Cage were so passionate about poler that they paid $1,000 in advance to take part in a massive poker game that would break every record.

And believe me when I say record: the poker game was so intense that it lasted 24 hours a day, every single day of the week, from 1881 to 1889.

4. The world’s tiniest casino doesn’t have an address

If you wake up one day and tell yourself that you want to play a game at the world’s tiniest casino, good luck with that because it doesn’t have an address.

The Grosvenor Casinos own an incredibly small casino that you won’t find in a building. What makes this one special is the fact that it is in the back of a moving London cab, but it has more facilities than you might think.

If you take this interesting taxi for a drive in the city, you’ll discover a gaming table with a dealer, a small TV where you can watch sports games, and even a bar.

5. The woman who started it all

While many people think that the casino and gambling industry is an all-men club, history shows us that things are different. Mayme Stocker was one of the pioneers of casinos in Las Vegas, and she was the first person to be issued a casino license in the glamorous city.

Her casino didn’t offer plenty of legal games at the time, but the offer was great for people who wanted to get a taste of adrenaline, including draw poker, bridge, stud poker, 500, and lowball poker.

casino and gambling
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6. Fruit-themed games

Let’s move on to the slot machine’s history. When playing online slots, fruit-themed games are always there, and for good reason. Since early versions of the game from the 1900s featured a fruit-flavored gum vending attachment and fruit symbols designed to show gum varieties, some of the earliest slots were indeed fruit machines. They are now part of the history of the casino and gambling industries.

7. Atomic bomb tests

Some crazy stories and scandals have casinos and gambling as main characters, but this one might be at the top of the list.

In the 1950s, the US Department of Energy started to detonate thousands of test A-bombs approximately 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, but there were smart people over there who knew how to turn a terrifying situation in their favor.

When those big, dangerous nukes turned night into day and left tons of mushroom clouds in the sky, many casino owners thought that they could turn the bomb tests into shows.

Since those clouds were visible from their casinos, they let customers know that they host A-bomb parties and nuke-themed beauty pageants, and because there was no party without some fancy beverages, they offered atomic cocktails in their bars.

8. You can ban yourself from these places

Is the casino and gambling world a problem for you? Say no more, because you can easily get out of a bad situation. Many American states noticed that these games can cause severe issues for specific customers, so they allowed people to voluntarily ban themselves from the casinos.

If you decide to make such a drastic change but end up entering a casino, you’ll be committing a crime. Depending on your needs, you can banish yourself for a year, five, or even a lifetime, so there will be no casino and gambling temptation for you anymore.

casino and gambling
Photo by antoniodiaz from shutterstock.com

9. Biggest jackpot win

Since we’ve talked about many facts regarding casinos and gambling, we had to include the biggest jackpot win ever, because you will be shocked by how much money someone once made.

After an anonymous 25-year-old man bet $100 on a Megabucks slot at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, his wager turned into an almost $40 jackpot prize. Why can’t I be this lucky?

10. The first slot machine

Did you know that in 1895, mechanic Charles Fey built the first slot machine? His invention wasn’t placed in his casino, but it was beautifully displayed in his automobile shop in San Francisco.

The reason he played it was for entertainment so that his customers wouldn’t get bored while they waited for their cars to be fixed.

However, the casino and gambling industry quickly saw how popular these slot machines were getting, so they bought a few to keep their customers occupied while waiting for seats at the table games to be free.

11. Casino and gambling and talented women

As we’ve previously established, the casino and gambling world isn’t an all-boys club, and there were some women throughout history who were proof that the games, especially poker, were suitable for everybody.

Speaking of poker, back in the day, the Wild West was one of the most popular places where women were great at this game.

That was thanks to the fact that they were allowed to gamble at saloons, unlike in many other parts of the United States. As a result, infamous poker queens, including Poker Alice and Lottie Deno, proved to everyone that they were indeed deserving of their places.

What do you think about these facts? Do you find the casino and gambling worlds interesting? Whether you like to play these games or not, make sure you do it safely, understand the rules, and don’t continue if you don’t feel okay. It’s always better to be safe rather than sorry.

If you like to play poker and you want to host poker nights with your friends and family, here’s a great set for the next game. Check it out!

If you enjoyed reading this article and you’d like to check out something else from Mind-Bending Facts, here’s an amazing post for you: Do Gentlemen Prefer Blondes? 12 Incredible Facts About Blonde Women

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