Being the Vegas Aces Casino we are, we owe part of our existence to those who came before us, hence this intriguing report on the ever-jawdropping founder of the Horseshoe Casino, Benny Binion.
The life of Benny Binion was such a maze of wild exploits that you could very well take it as the script for a fictional movie. From bootlegging and murder to illegal gambling operations, only a few names carry as much criminal weight as Benny Binion. However, you cannot speak about the extensive growth of the gambling scene in Las Vegas without tying it around him.
Today’s casino news gives you a clearer view of Binion’s life and legacy.
Benny Binion: Bootlegging, Murder, and the Horseshoe Casino
Lester Ben Binion was born in 1904 in rural Pilot Grove. He often got sick as a child, which led to him being denied formal education. Instead, his father taught him horse trading and took him on all his business journeys. He became the horse traders’ errand boy, running their messages and learning the tricks of the trade.
During their leisure hours, the traders also gambled and played card games at their business camps, including poker. Benny Binion learned his fill of poker skills as he watched these men play, mastering every trick and strategy in gambling. This significantly influenced his future gambling venue endeavors.
Having mastered the art of horsetrading and gambling, and having the ambition to match, he moved to Dallas in 1928 at the age of 24 to put to work everything he had learned.
Benny Binion: Texas Outlaw and Gambling Kingpin
As a young entrepreneur with a keen eye for profitability, the gambling dens that spread across the Dallas landscape proved irresistible to Benny Binion. Within a short time, he had already created an illegal gambling, lottery, and bootlegging operation.
Dallas’ underworld became his playground for gambling dens. His businesses brought him lots of cash, fueling his appetite for high-risk, high-reward ventures. For years, he enjoyed the favor of politicians and police.
From the 1920s to the 30s, Benny Binion was known for his violent temper. He allegedly killed an African American criminal, Frank Bolding, who made an attempt on him with a knife. Also, he killed a competitor, Sam Murray, and failed an attempt on another competitor, Herbert Noble. His criminal record continued to mount.
However, power changed hands in politics, and the government officials giving him protection went out of office. This made his criminal empire increasingly unstable due to rival threats, mounting prosecution, and pressure from legal authorities. He then had no choice but to set his eyes on a new horizon.
Off to Vegas!
In 1946, at age 42, Benny Binion relocated to Las Vegas with his wife, children, and a bag full of cash to begin afresh. Much like Bumpy Johnson, he was charismatic, cunning, and ruthlessly ambitious. Benny had charm and a shrewd business sense. He knew how to work a room and make everyone feel high, regardless of their means.
Binion’s Horseshoe Casino
In 1951, ready to make his mark on the Las Vegas gambling scene, Benny Binion set his sights on a small property on Fremont Street and transformed it into the legendary Binion’s Horseshoe Casino. In 1960, he bought the nearby Boulder Club to expand the Horseshoe, which his son, Jack, further developed in 1988 by purchasing the neighboring Mint Hotel.
With the Horseshoe Casino, Benny Binnion pulled several marketing stunts. Money is already a surefire gambling symbol, but Sir Benny went a bit farther. He placed a glass case filled with ten-thousand-dollar bills adding up to a million dollars on display at the casino. This strategy was one-of-a-kind, drawing crowds of visitors eager to pose for pictures in front of the creative display.
Where others hesitated, he saw opportunities to transform the Vegas gambling scene into luxury resorts. He raised wagering stakes to unprecedented limits, making even the smallest bet a potential jackpot. He was the first to do this in Vegas. This approach forced other casinos to follow suit or fall behind. If you’re curious about how many casinos are in Las Vegas today? Over 140!
In addition, he offered free drinks and transported patrons by limousine, transforming his casino into a place of elegance and comfort.
Fall of Binion’s Horseshoe Casino
Binion’s shady past eventually caught up with him in 1954. Charged with tax evasion, Binion was sentenced to the Leavenworth Penitentiary. He had already sold most of the Horseshoe shares to investors. However, his two sons, Jack and Ted Binion, and three daughters, Barbara, Becky, and Brenda Binion, kept the Horseshoe alive during his departure.
When Binion returned from prison in 1964, his casino license had been revoked, but his passion and influence over the Horseshoe were as strong as ever. His sons, Jack and Ted Binion, played at the forefront, using Jack’s license to run the casino, keeping casino games alive. Jack ran the establishment as president, while Benny worked behind the scenes running public relations.
Binion’s Death
In 1989, Benny Binion died of heart failure, and his wife, Teddy Jane, died in 1994. Barbara Binion, the eldest, took her own life in 1977, while Ted Binion was murdered in 1998.
The Binions also found themselves amidst family feuds and politics. Ultimately, Jack Binion sold the Horseshoe to his sister, Becky Binion-Behnen, in 1998. Becky’s hold on office only hastened the Horseshoe’s decline. The casino mounted in debt and neared collapse under her watch.
In 2004, federal agents descended upon the casino, seizing $1 million to pay off unpaid union benefits. The blow forced the Horseshoe’s closure. The casino was later sold to Harrah’s Entertainment, which reopened it as Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel to continue Binion’s legacy.
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Binion’s Lasting Legacy
Benny Binion crafted the history of the WSOP. He and his son arranged the first tournament in 1970, a modest poker tournament. Today, the WSOP is the world’s most prestigious and celebrated poker event, even on crypto gambling sites.
Ultimately, Benny Binion left behind a legacy that will continue to ring in Las Vegas’s history. From career gangster to casino boss, he contributed significantly to laying the foundation for luxurious gambling in Las Vegas.
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