Benny
Binion took a chance when he moved his family from Texas to Las Vegas in 1951. That same
year he opened and ran the Horseshoe on a simple philosophy: “Find out what the
people want, give them an honest deal, and treat them right. The rest will take care of
itself.”
The current Binion’s Horseshoe was built
in 1965, and since then Binion’s has taken over the old Mint Hotel and incorporated
its casino into its own. The result is an enormous gaming area that is divided into
several distinct sections downstairs.
Most people come to Binion’s to gamble.
There’s no pretense of entertainment or tourist attractions. With no theme or
architecture to date it, Binion’s has fared well over the years and has continued to
be the number-one choice for serious gamblers, especially poker players.
In fact, Binion’s is the home and
originator of the World Series of Poker (this year’s event starts April 16). Though
the World Series of Poker made its official debut in 1970, the idea of the annual
tournament was actually conceived more than two decades earlier.
In the summer of 1949, as the story goes,
inveterate gambler Nicholas “Nick the Greek” Dandolos approached Benny Binion
with an unusual request — to challenge the best in a high-stakes poker marathon.
Binion agreed to set up a match between Dandolos and the legendary Johnny Moss, with the
stipulation that the game be played in public view.
During the course of the marathon, which
lasted five months with breaks only for sleep, the two men played every form of poker
imaginable. Moss ultimately won “the biggest game in town” and an estimated $2
million. When the Greek lost his last pot, he arose from his chair, bowed slightly, and
uttered the now-famous words, “Mr. Moss, I have to let you go.” Dandolos then
went upstairs to bed.
Though significant in its own way as a chapter
in poker history, the five-month marathon took on added importance to Benny Binion. He
noted that the public had gathered outside the casino each day to watch the game with the
fervor of dedicated sports fans, and he was amazed at the attention the event had
attracted.
But it wasn’t until 1970 that Binion
decided to re-create this excitement and stage a battle of poker giants — dubbed the
“World Series Of Poker” — to determine who would be worthy of the title
“World Champion.” Some of the best players in the country were assembled, and
Johnny Moss came out on top. The decision was democratic in that the champion was decided
by popular vote.
Today, the legacy Benny Binion left the poker
community ranks as the oldest, largest, most prestigious, and most media-hyped gaming
competition in the world, and no doubt it holds the promise of an even brighter future.
Strip will stay bright; power costs to increase
Nevada utility officials expect the Strip to stay fully lit through the summer — when air conditioners work day and night to make the desert heat tolerable — avoiding the power problems that have brought California to its knees.
But that confidence is coming at a price: increased electricity rates, to the consternation of the Strip’s hotel-casinos. Between September and April, rates will have increased by about 46%, driven by forces that are pushing up energy costs nationwide.
At several hotels, incandescent bulbs are being exchanged for more efficient fluorescent lights in many cases. Thermostats are being installed to reduce air conditioning in unused convention rooms, and motion sensors are being installed to keep the lights off in empty offices.
Station Casinos will
donate to county schools
Station Casinos, Inc. has announced the
company will donate $1 in April for every new customer who signs up for a Boarding Pass,
Amigo Club or Club Reserve frequent player membership to the eight Clark County School
District elementary schools that are community partners in its Smart Start education
program.
“We encourage every consumer who is 21 or
over to sign up for one of our frequent player memberships because they will be supporting
an at-risk elementary school located in or near the area of the Valley where they
live,” said Lesley Pittman, director of community relations for Station Casinos, Inc.
With Smart Start, introduced in September,
each Station Casinos hotel/casino and the corporation have established a community
partnership with an at-risk Clark County School District elementary school. Station
Casinos supports each school’s computer lab by donating computers and other equipment
for their educational use. The partnerships also include a team-member volunteer program
whereby employees volunteer time to help with school events and support teachers in the
classrooms.
Smart Start is a first-of-its-kind program in
Las Vegas and the partnerships include: Palace Station-Rex Bell Elementary School; Boulder
Station-Laura Dearing; Texas Station-C.P. Squires; Sunset Station-Lorna Kesterson; Santa
Fe Station-Fitzgerald; The Fiesta-Ollie Detwiler; The Reserve-C.T. Sewell, and Station
Casino, Inc.-Whitney Elementary.
Bally’s building
3-D sign at Strip’s Four Corners
Bally’s Las Vegas has broken ground on
its new 15-story outdoor marquee, a unique 3-dimensional image display that will
dramatically change the look of the world-famous Four Corners (at Flamingo & the
Strip), the most-heavily trafficked destination in Las Vegas.
The $10 million Bally’s project will
display entertainment events and special messages on a series of six monitors in the
highest resolution available. The spectacular three-sided marquee combines
state-of-the-art electronic technology with traditional neon and lighting elements,
projecting high-definition images to the busiest intersection of the Las Vegas Strip.
“Competition to capture the attention of
Strip visitors is fierce,” says Anthony Santo, President of Bally’s Las Vegas,
“So we created a unique display that goes well beyond the typical Las Vegas neon
sign.”
The design and chosen location of the new sign
is critical, notes Santo, “because it will remind visitors that Bally’s is a
classic Las Vegas resort casino and a fun, must-see property on the Strip’s busiest
Four Corners.”
The 150-foot-high custom-made sign will be
68-feet wide and comprise 150 tons of steel. Nearly 1-mile of neon and over 3.2 million
multi-colored, light-emitting diodes will be incorporated in the display.
Installation is expected to be completed by
the 4th of July weekend and will take 25 designers, engineers and skilled craftsman 35,000
man-hours to finalize.
The marquee was developed and is being
installed by YESCO (Young Electric Sign Company), the famous custom sign manufacturer of
Las Vegas marquees and signage for over 80 years.
