Benny Binion Las Vegas Legend or Mobster

By: Addy Watson
Submitted: 2007-11-25 13:41:22
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Benny Binion was by far one of the most favorite Las Vegas personalities by many people who visited Sin City.Maybe it was because he didn’t fit the stereo-type of the mobster characters of days gone by of Las Vegas or the stereo-type of the new money which stormed into town to build the mega resorts of Las Vegas. Maybe it was because in a world of misfits, Benny Binion defied all odds and became a man driven by money yet yanked from the throes of poverty. Benny Binion lived a dream many gamblers would love to live and yet it is so obvious he never paid the pauper so to speak. Binion, the legend lives on and now, as evidence will show, so does Binion the mobster.

Benny Binion was more than a casino owner who sat back and enjoyed the profits of casino gambling, Binion was the legendary owner of the joint that became known for taking the biggest wagers in town. That joint was called The Horseshoe and throughout the years of The Horseshoe’s success, the casino maintained they took the biggest bets in town no matter which town they held up stakes. However, that of course has changed thanks to Binion’s daughter and her derelict husband. Nonetheless, when Binion and his boys Teddy and Jack were in control, Binion’s Horseshoe was the best game in town for high rollers looking to place large wagers.

Benny Binion was born in Texas to a horse trader who took Benny on his excursions. Benny Binion never attended school but instead learned the art of gambling and skill of horse trading and never became educated in formal schools. Instead, Binion became ‘schooled’ by the area’s card sharks and horse traders and prided himself on the fact that he was rarely cheated and the fact that he never was considered a cheat himself.

In 1928, Binion opened an illegal game called a ‘policy’ game and later used old crates labeled for hotel bedding as craps tables. Though Binion always proclaimed to never have cheated anyone, he was certainly capable of illegal operations and during that time, Binion carried three pistols wherever he went. He shot and killed a known bootlegger and was charged with murder yet his sentence was suspended. A number of years later, Binion killed a rival operator and was cleared only because he too was wounded so the authorities released Binion on the unified consensus that he was doing what anyone else in his situation would do; protecting himself from harm. A man referred to as “the cat” blamed Binion for killing his wife in a car explosion and spent the rest of his life trying to hurt Binion and his beloved family. He even had a failed attempt at a bomb plot he planned to drop on Binion’s Las Vegas home. Eventually, this man did die from a bomb found in his mailbox.

Once Binion completely left Texas behind, he began a gambling joint in Las Vegas which held the highest limits in town. The casino upheld the highest limits guaranteeing a gambler that their first bet placed could indeed be their table limit and because of this business savvy rule, the Binions saw some of the best bets in town. Some of the best Las Vegas stories are surrounding Binion’s Horseshoe and Benny Binion because he was fearless in gambling and situations surrounding the gaming industry.

Benny Binion was one of the first to do anything in a big way in Las Vegas. He was the first to offer free drinks to slot players and the first to provide limousines to casino players. And doing things for the ‘little players’ seemed to pay off in a big way for the Binion family.

While Benny Binion never served a day in prison for the murders he committed, he did spend time in prison for tax evasion. The general consensus was that law enforcement agencies couldn’t pin anything else on him so they went back to his humble beginnings in Texas and found what they needed to send him packing for a couple of years. He never held a gaming license again after his stint in prison.

Gangster, gambler or genuine Las Vegas legend, Benny Binion lived the Las Vegas lifestyle of the day and age in which he lived. However, many of the crimes tagged to the Binion name, Benny Binion never paid penitence, yet in a weird way, his children are still paying the pauper. His son Ted lost his life either to murder or to drug overdose the story has changed so much its hard to say. Daughter Becky lost the family’s prize possession. The Horseshoe Casino; Binion’s Horseshoe Casino is no longer Binion owned and operated.

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