Benny Binion
The gambler’s casino
A Texas gambling operator whose Horseshoe made high-stakes play and poker central to downtown Las Vegas’s identity.
Texas before Fremont Street
Binion moved to Las Vegas in 1946 after a career in illegal Texas gambling. His past included violence and a murder conviction. The Mob Museum’s account follows both that record and his Nevada licensing difficulties; the familiar image of an affable casino host is only part of the story. [1]
The Horseshoe proposition
The Horseshoe opened on August 14, 1951. Binion emphasized gambling and personal treatment over a lavish showroom. Ownership, management and licensing did not always align: the property initially opened under other licensees, and his later federal tax conviction disrupted his control. His family regained the casino in 1964. [1]
Making poker an occasion
In 1970, the Horseshoe hosted the first World Series of Poker. The inaugural gathering ended with players choosing Johnny Moss by a vote; it was not the later elimination-tournament format. The event gave a small circle of professional gamblers a recurring public stage and became an enduring part of the Horseshoe’s identity. [2]
Read the family account alongside the record
UNLV preserves a catalog for Jack Binion’s 2008 oral history, describing recollections of growing up as Benny’s son. It is a useful companion to the museum’s research into licensing and criminal history. Family memory, institutional history and contemporary records answer different questions. [3] [1]
Key dates
People in the same story
Jackie Gaughan
Compare another downtown operator’s customer-centered approach. UNLV · Lee Business School [1]
Read the profileIn the archive
2 matching entries in the saved collection.
Grit, Guts, & Vision
Publisher page and article metadata checked · Oct 4, 2026
Photograph of Benny Binion in a cowboy hat at a poker table, Las Vegas, Nevada, approximately 1960 to 1979
Photograph from Binion’s Horseshoe Club Photograph Collection. Catalog date: Circa 1960–1970.
Go deeper into the record.
Sources for this profile and starting points for further research. Access notes mark links we could not open directly during the October 3–4, 2026 checks. Historical accounts describe their own period; they do not necessarily describe current operations.
- 1
Benny Binion’s million-dollar gamble lives on 75 years later
Publisher-page access is unconfirmed. Access check: Oct 4, 2026. Search for this source (search results)
- 2
The history of the WSOP: The 1970s
Documents the 1970 gathering at the Horseshoe and Johnny Moss winning a vote, before the later tournament format.
- 3
Jack Binion oral history, October 17, 2008
The catalog describes Jack’s recollections of growing up as Benny Binion’s son.