GAMBLING IN THE SPA

REVIEW: GAMBLING IN TH SPA, Wayne Threadgill, Copyright 2002, 10th Edition  dated  April 2018.

This 140-page document is divided into six chapter:

The City covers the history of the city as it pertains to gambling and is enhanced with pictures from the late 1800’s and newspaper articles.

Horse Racing, covers the early history of gambling at the horse tracks, both Sportsman and Arkansas Jockey Club out Malvern Road. In detail it covers Oaklawn history and provides us with pictures and racing posters. Essex Park and Oaklawn early pictures are featured.

City Politics and Its tie to Gambling, reflects on our history and the behind the scenes of the corruption that allowed the gambling to take place. This chapter is made up of 23 pages of facts discovered by Wayne through several Freedom of Information Act requests to get state and federal records pertaining to the illegal gambling in the city. The chapter has several pages of memorabilia, pictures, documents, cartoons documenting this period to include raids on the casinos and destruction of equipment.

This section covers the 14 major casinos that used chips and the list of 87 clubs that might have had illegal gambling. The details are fantastic and almost make you feel like you are there. Extensive coverage of the management and the operators of the clubs. Great stories of the law enforcement in Garland County on the take and how the notification system worked so when the raids were scheduled that casino was without a sign of action or equipment.

Memorabilia, what a wonderful collection covering several different casinos and how they were used. Bookmakers Cards, Calling Cards, Membership Cards, Club Souvenirs, Bingo Cards, Cigarette Lighters, Matchbooks, Ashtrays, Table Covers, Dealer Aprons, Faro Game Layout, Chuck a Luck Game, Keno Goose, Silver Ware, China Place Setting, Club Menus, Brochures. Awesome collection and documentation.

Casino Chips and Dice, this section is the most used by the illegal casino chip collectors from all over the county. There are known to be approximately 200 chips and 53 sets of dice from the illegal gambling period in Hot Springs. The chip section provides you with the casino the known chip came from, address, picture of a represented chip in color, description of the chip and approximate value in 2018. Hot Springs generated 23 casinos that we have found to have chips. Arizona casinos are also covered with an additional 8 known casinos. The Dice Section includes 53 sets of dice from 11 casinos in Hot Springs and 2 from outside.

GAMBLING IN THE SPA

Casino Chips and Memorabilia

By Wayne Threadgill

Get your personal copy. Contact the Garland County Historical Society , 328 Quapaw Ave., Hot Springs, AR (501) 321-2159