7 Interesting and Unusual Facts About Casinos and Slot Machines

It’s hard to find someone who has never heard of gambling. In films, books, and the Internet, you can find hundreds of references to this entertainment, even if you are not interested in it. Therefore, almost everyone knows about the most popular games or the most winning stories. For those who want to go deeper into the world of gambling, this information may not be enough. That is why we have collected 7 non-trivial facts that even passionate and experienced players might not have heard of.

Las Vegas owes its popularity to nuclear bombs

For most people, Las Vegas is associated with an incredible amount of land-based casinos, online gambling platforms similar to CashCasinos.co, and unforgettable entertainment. However, this was not always the case. In the middle of the 20th century, in the relatively young city of Las Vegas, there were several gambling establishments, and among the visitors were mainly local residents.

In 1951, the US Department of Energy began conducting nuclear tests at the Nevada test polygon – 100 kilometres from Las Vegas. By 1963, more than 1,000 warheads had been detonated there. Then there was still no detailed information about the dangers of radiation, and therefore explosions became a popular attraction. People came to see this spectacle in Las Vegas, and that is what made it popular.

Brochures and calendars were distributed among tourists with the dates of the tests and a list of casinos where they could watch the explosions. Also, themed parties began to be held in Vegas, and “atomic cocktails” were offered to guests in casino bars. One of the gambling houses even held a Miss Nuclear Energy beauty contest, where girls dressed as nuclear mushrooms competed for the victory.

Fruit symbols in slot machines

The image of fruit among the slot machines symbols has become traditional for a long time. However, the history of their appearance is quite interesting. At the end of the 19th century, the United States introduced a ban on all types of gambling. Instead of slot machines on the American streets, “fruit machines” appeared, which gave out winnings with chewing gum and candy with fruit flavors. If a combination with cherry images appeared on the screen, the player received a cherry gum. It also worked with symbols for other fruits and berries. In 1931, the ban on gambling was lifted, and slot machines began to issue cash prizes. But they decided to leave the usual symbols of fruits to remind people about the old times.

Jail casino

In the US state of Nevada, gambling is so popular that even imprisoned criminals have access to it. From 1932 to 1967, Carson City Prison had a casino where inmates could play craps, blackjack, and poker. Besides, they placed bets on sports events. However, after 35 years of existence, the prison casino was closed, and gambling was declared “degradation for prisoners.”

The first license to open a casino was received by a woman

On the contrary to the stereotype that at the beginning of the casino’s development, only wealthy men were the owners of gambling establishments, a woman received the first license to open a casino. Mamie Stoker opened the South Club in September 1920 because her husband Harold was a railroad worker and did not want his name to appear on such documents. Nevertheless, both Harold and their three sons worked for the benefit of the Southern Club. At that time gambling was illegal, and therefore Stokers offered their visitors only 5 legal entertainments – stud poker, draw poker, lowball poker, bridge, and “500”.

The casino player can block himself

Unfortunately, some gamblers are too addicted to gambling. Considering that this can lead to other unpleasant consequences, casinos offer their visitors a “self-blocking” option. Gamblers who experience an unhealthy attraction to gambling can contact the administration of the institution to have his name added to the “blacklist” for a certain period or forever. From that moment, he will be restricted from accessing games. This is true for both real and virtual casinos.

“Clean hands” of the dealer

In each casino, many cameras are necessarily installed and they constantly monitor everything that happens. The croupiers working in the casino have a mandatory gesture called “clean hands”. They show their open palms to the camera to prevent fraud – hiding cards or steal chips.

During the working process, dealers have to show “clean hands” quite often – when they come to the table or, on the contrary, leave it, when they touch someone’s hand when they pass something to each other or the players, and in other cases when it is theoretically possible hide something.

The world’s largest slot machine

The Super Big Bertha slot machine is considered the largest in the history of the casino. It was created in the 1950s, and even then, it cost a lot of money – 150 thousand Canadian dollars. It was a part of the gambling range of Bally’s – a popular Las Vegas casino. Even now, Super Big Bertha surprises with its dimensions – 2.5 meters in height and almost 2 meters in width. It was powered by a 5-kilowatt electric motor. The slot had 8 reels with 20 different symbols, which formed a huge number of different combinations.

In Conclusion

The world of gambling is very exciting, and all the interesting stories and facts associated with it are impossible to list. Millions of gamblers, who regularly have fun in online and offline casinos, multiply them every day. The main thing is to remember that gambling must be treated responsibly. If you gamble at least twice a week, it is important to create your strategy and set your bankroll limits to always remain among the winners.

If you have some curious facts to share with our readers, do not hesitate to do it! By the way, which of the above-listed facts did you like the most? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.