Several hotel-casinos – including Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall and UNLV’s Sam Boyd Stadium – are named in his honor, ensuring his legacy will live on for generations to come. That same year, he and his son co-founded Boyd Gaming, which would grow into one of the largest gambling and casino management corporations in the world. Broadening his influence throughout the valley, Boyd began developing and purchasing casinos throughout the Las Vegas area, including the California Hotel in 1975. Later, he became general manager and partner at The Mint in Downtown Las Vegas, where he began introducing the innovative marketing campaigns that made him famous. After moving to Las Vegas in 1941, he rose through the ranks of the gambling industry before eventually investing $10,000 to become an owner-partner at the Sahara in 1952. He also was known for its large tourist attraction – a horseshoe with $1 million dollars inside.īorn on Apin Enid, Oklahoma, Sam Boyd began his career in the gambling industry in 1928 when he ran bingo games on a gambling ship off the coast of California.

For years, the casino had a famous $2 steak special with meat coming from the cattle on one of Binion’s ranches. Although high rollers comps were standard, Binion decided to give them to all players inside his casinos. As a vanguard in the casino industry, he was the first to transport guests via limousine and offer free drinks to gamblers. Binion was a pioneer who made poker an important casino game. Eventually, the Horseshoe started allowing bets of any size as long as it wasn’t larger than their initial bet. Binion initially set the craps table limit to $500, which was ten times higher than any competitor at that time. Shortly after, Binion purchased the Eldorado Club and the Apache Hotel, reopening them as Binion’s Horseshoe Casino, which immediately became a fan favorite because of its high betting limits. Born on Novemin Pilot Grove, Texas, Benny Binion arrived in Las Vegas in 1969 after becoming a partner of the Las Vegas Club.

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