part of a miner’s possessions as was the pick with which heunearthed silver from the mines” (History of Gambling...1). The firstterritorial legislature that outlawed games of chance wasn’t written until1861(History of Gambling...1), but the law was unenforced. Probablybecause the cops themselves were playing. Nothing could be done to stopgambling so they tried to regulate it. “In 1869 when the state legislatureenacted a law requiring a license to operate a game, the state and localgovernments filled their coffers with the fees charged gaming operators”(History of Gambling...1). Nevada legislature ordered all gamblingestablishments to close their doors in 1910 (History of Gambling...1). So what does someone do when something becomes outlawed? Theygo underground, and that’s what people did. “During the ban, gangsters ‘BigBill’ Graham and Jimmy ‘The Couch’ Mckay operated illegal halls andmonopolized prostitution and bootlegging when prohibition was enacted in1919” (History of Gambling...1).When the Great Depression set-in, everyone looked for ways to makesome money. “During the depression, state legislators sought out ways toincrease state revenues. Phil Tobin, a Nevada legislator from Winnemuccaargued that since gambling still existed despite laws banning it, the stateshould legalize gambling and tax it. They did” (History of gambling...1). In1931, the state of Nevada legalized gambling.(History of Gambling...1). “Casino gaming did not become a major industry until after World War II,when it flourished in response to increasing social acceptance and populationbooms in California and other western states” (History of Gambling...1). The first respectable casinos were built in Reno by the Smiths and BillHarrah in the mid-1930’s. The Smiths and his partners opened Harolds Cluband Harrah opened Harrah’s (History of Gambling...
