Where Were Churchill Downs and Little Caesars Race/Sports Books?

I'm currently reading one of your books, Then One Day by Chris Andrews (great book btw, highly recommend), and Chris mentions Churchill Downs and Little Caesars as standalone places to place bets before 1974 when the casinos could start having their own sports books. Where were those two places located and are they still standing and being used or torn down?

Little Caesar's and Churchill Downs were both located on the Strip in the Churchill Downs Shopping Center. The address was 3665 Las Vegas Blvd. S., which is now the Miracle Mile Shops. They were the last of the standalone race and sports books and were joined, in a manner, by being at opposite ends of the center (photos below). Of course, they're long gone, making way for Paris and Planet Hollywood.

Churchill Downs opened first, in 1967. It was, to the best of recollection, on the south end of the shopping center, next to the also-long-gone Galaxy Motel.

It was operated by the renowned bookmaker Harry Gordon, who also owned the Derby and Hollywood standalone books downtown. The Churchill had a small counter with five ticket writers and a single cashier. Behind the counter were big odds boards; a manager lowered the boards with pull cords to post numbers, then raised them again. The Churchill also sported the first electric reader board in Las Vegas; according to legend, when it short-circuited, someone had to bop it in a particular spot with a broom handle. Communications were handled via a Western Union ticker, similar to the old paper-ribbon machines used for stock prices. The ticker was wired into the reader board, so sports bettors could see all the information in real time.

It closed in 1997 around the same time that the Aladdin also closed. The Churchill Downs Shopping Center was subsequently razed to make way for the new Aladdin and its attached shopping mall.

Little Caesar's was a casino as well as a book; it opened a year after Churchill Downs in 1968. It was not just a standalone race and sports book; rather, it was a "joint" in the best and worst senses of the word. It was the dingiest little storefront you ever saw, with perhaps the busiest pay phones in Vegas outside the front of the place.

You walked in through a sort of sliding glass door, whose handle had a dozen or so layers of duct tape wrapped around it; facing west, the metal handle heated up to third-degree-burn temperatures in the summer-afternoon sun. A hand-written sign on the slider instructed patrons to close the door behind them, so as not to lose any precious air-conditioning, which lowered the temperature in the place about two degrees on a good day. There were a couple of crap tables, one of which offered crapless craps, and a couple of blackjack tables, one of which offered double-exposure 21, both carnie games dreamed up by Bob Stupak of Vegas World; Stupak and Little Caesars' owner Gene Maday were buddies. Maday, who also owned Checker Cab Company, hired mostly break-in dealers, so the games were always, shall we say, colorful. Little Caesars also had four antique penny slot machines with a top jackpot of $50, which no one, to our knowledge, ever hit.

Little Caesars closed in 1994 shortly after Gene Maday died at age 66. So it too has been gone for decades, but is better remembered than Churchill Downs.

No part of this answer may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the publisher.

Have a question that hasn't been answered? Email us with your suggestion.

Missed a Question of the Day?

Have a Question?

Tomorrow's Question

Has Clark County ever considered legalizing prostitution?

Comments

rokgpsman May-13-2023

Invisible book title?

The title of the book (Then One Day) mentioned in opening Question for today's QoD isn't visible on my computer screen because of the high-lighted color that was chosen. Might not be a problem for other readers depending on the equipment they are using.

O2bnVegas May-13-2023

Little Caesars

We are thankful not to have missed Little Caesars.  For us it was a "must do" every trip just to experience the creepiness of the place versus the glitter and glitz of the other casinos; also to admire the 'vehicle' often parked out front, what looked like the fusilage of a small airplane.  Mostly our goal was to play on the penny slots for a few minutes.  We planned so that we wouldn't have to visit the restroom there, guessing it wouldn't be up to our standards, to say the least.  

The 'casino' in the movie "Vegas Vacation" where Clark Griswold and Cousin Eddie went to try to re-coup some of Clark's lost money always makes me think of Little Caesars.  Of course the games were different:  Guess Which Hand; Guess The Number; Rock Paper Scissors, etc.  Wouldn't see those in Little Caesars.  But the atmosphere looked really similar.  The movie producers had to have Little Caesars in mind when that part of the story was done.

Candy

VegasVic May-13-2023

Little Caesars

LC was one of my favorite places, I always stopped in on every trip.  Loved playing craps there.  One cocktail waitress but they didn't have cocktails.  Just beer.  And hot dogs.  You could get either or both at the tables.  When the waitress was on a break the pitboss would take over. "Anyone need a beer or hot dog?".  

The casinos cage (literally a tiny one person cage) was only a few feet from the tables.  But every time you cashed in, no matter the amount, the cashier would have to call the pit to let them know.  "Cashing in $28".  

You should show a pic of Maday's rocket car. A gift from Stupak it was parked in front of the place.

Dave_Miller_DJTB May-13-2023

Vegas Vacation

That scene from Vegas Vacation was filmed at the Klondike Casino, which was located on the strip across from the Welcome sign. A Harley Davidson dealership is there now.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klondike_Hotel_and_Casino

For the record, I created a casino game inspired by the Pick A Number game from that scene. I’m trying to get a casino or distributor interested in it. 

http://www.DaveMillerGaming.com/pac/index.html

Jackie May-13-2023

Dear Dave_Miller_DJTB

Are you sure your game idea is not a lottery?
All pick a number games are and not allowed in Nevada.

KennyA May-13-2023

Pick a number

Keno anyone?

That Don Guy May-13-2023

re: Dear Dave_Miller_DJTB

"Pick a Number" games are illegal in Nevada? How else would you describe roulette?

Pick a Card looks like it's a card version of Chuck-a-Luck, or the single-number bet in Sic Bo.

Dave_Miller_DJTB May-13-2023

Lottery? Really?

Wow. I think that’s the first time the game has been compared to a lottery. As Kenny and Don have pointed out, you could probably make the lottery comparison to most (all?) casino games that have no decision points.

Don: Yeah, as I mentioned on the history page of my website, Sic Bo was part of my inspiration too. Thanks.

Jackie May-13-2023

Don Guy

Ever hear of the numbers racket back in the 20' and thirty's?
Do you realize lotteries are illegal in Nevada?
Roulette is betting on a number to show for sure but for some reason the Gaming Commission says that's OK.

All I'm trying to point out is that Mr. Miller should present his game to the Gaming Commission to see if it doesn't break any rules.

I think it does, and yes, I read about it on his web site.
Question is, even if it is OKed by the Gaming Commission, would you want to play it? Are the odds of playing within the game limits set forth? A lot of math work and trials needed to prove it's worth to casinos.

Steve O'Donoghue May-13-2023

$.10 slots

In the early '80s, actually won $80 on a $.10 slot at Little Caesar's. Should have been $200, but one of the coins wasn't accepted. DAMN!!

Stork

gaattc2001 May-13-2023

Here's a link to a picture of Bob Stupak's Rocket Car....

for Candy and Vegas Vic [1]. It's also mentioned in the book "No Limit," by John L. Smith [2]. More memories of an old Las Vegas, gone forever. 
I came through town pretty regularly in that era, and probably even went to that shopping center once or twice; but don't remember going to either place. Another missed opportunity. 

1. https://www.reddit.com/r/vegas/comments/drnz3u/bob_stupaks_rocket_car/
2. https://books.google.com/books/about/No_Limit.html?id=gosKAAAACAAJ

Neal Greenberg May-22-2023

LC was the best

Only hit up LC once back in the early 90's.  I loved the .25 craps and the brand new, "I have no idea what I'm doing" dealers.  It made for a fun time where one could shove a stack of chips and pretend for a few rolls.

Question of the Day - 13 May 2023

Comments