We found out some -- but not much, we have to say -- information about the mysterious mechanical beast that was indeed known as The Queen's Machine, thanks to the long memories of some helpful staff at the Four Queens, plus additional input from some QoD readers, including the rare image reproduced below, courtesy of a loyal fan with a large historic postcard collection (thanks, Donald!)
For what was billed as the "largest slot machine in the world" -- a contention we have not anywhere seen challenged -- it's strange that so little seems to have been written about The Queen's Machine, but we can at least vouch for its existence and that all of you who had vague recollections, stirred by our recent Big Bertha answer (QoD 5/12/13), weren't hallucinating or suffering the effects of one cocktail too many.
An executive with the Four Queens, who's been with the property for decades, recalled that the giant slot, which we've read measured nearly 10 feet tall and 9 feet wide, was last seen on the casino floor in the early to mid-nineties and was a one-of-a-kind custom-built behemoth that went through several incarnations. At first, apparently, it was set up in the same manner that the Golden Nugget currently has its classic "Big Bertha" machine set up, but the Four Queens' version was later customized to allow five, and later six bettors at once to wager on the spin, with six betting stations. Players were seated at what look like over-sized armchairs (see below) and rather than pulling a lever or pressing a button themselves, a comely slot maiden on a podium (who some readers seem to recall was dressed in regal attire), would call people in to play and then pull the handle on their behalf (the players inserted their own coins, however, via a console at the front of each playing station). The top jackpot was, we read, the kingly sum of $50,000. (The whole solicitation aspect was apparently frowned upon by gaming regulators, who objected to patrons being enticed to play games, especially with the highly dubious implication of a big shot at winning, so this practice, popular with many downtown casinos, was eventually outlawed.)
As to the origins of this giantess-among-giant slots, downtown histories and collective memory have so far failed to yield any answers, although we're guessing it may well have been introduced by original Four Queens owner Ben Goffstein, a onetime employee of William Randolph Hearst's newspapers group, who had a reputation for organized-crime connections and was part of the team that took over the Flamingo after Bugsy Siegel's untimely demise. Goffstein named the $5 million downtown hotel-casino for his four daughters, so it makes sense that he would have indulged in a slot-machine-made-(originally)-for-four (princesses). Goffstein's wife, Dottie, a former showgirl, served as interior designer for the property, which could explain the highly atypical chairs you can see below.
As to what happened to it, the machine's disappearance remains cloaked in as much mystery as its origins. It was already gone when the current director of slots joined the Four Queens, and when he searched the warehouse for it some time ago, he came up empty handed. If anyone out there has this rare piece of casino memorabilia, or has any information regarding its later whereabouts, or experiences of it to share, please drop us a line and we'll add them to this answer.
As to the giant 12-player, two-dealer blackjack table, also billed as the biggest in the world in its time, this too is long-gone, we were assured, and was there only briefly as a publicity stunt. The official record for the world's largest blackjack table has now passed to San Diego's Viejas Casino, where in September 2012, representatives from the Guinness Book of World Records were on hand to confirm the casino set the new record, with a temporary table that measured 60 by 36 feet. Featuring cards and chips made to scale -- about 10 times the normal size -- the photographs of the stunt are reminiscent of a scene from Alice in Wonderland or Gulliver's Travels: In order for the record to be official, and hand of live blackjack had to be dealt, which entailed dealers walking across the baize to deal players cards almost as tall as they were (click the link for a timelapse video, courtesy of Fox 5 News, of the table's construction)
