Inside Nevada’s Black Book: The Mobsters, the Dates, and the Era That Built the Exclusion List

The List Nobody Wanted to Be On and the First Fifty Names Nevada has always had a complicated relationship with the people who built its casinos. The state wanted the tax revenue, the jobs, the tourism, and the bright lights, but it didn’t want the men who made those lights possible. At least, not in … Read more

The Original Legislative Bills That Legalized Nevada Gaming: Phil Tobin’s 1931 Push for Regulated Gambling

Reno, Nevada Street Scene 1920s

In 1931, Nevada made a decision that would permanently reshape its identity: it legalized wide-open gambling. The move is often portrayed as inevitable, but the truth is far more nuanced. The legalization effort was driven not by casino owners or urban political machines, but by a quiet rancher from Humboldt County — Assemblyman Phil Tobin … Read more