Benny Binion was a Texas gambling boss turned Las Vegas casino owner who opened Binion’s Horseshoe on Fremont Street in 1951 and started the World Series of Poker there in 1970. His high limits and gambler-first style pushed downtown casinos to compete for big players, while his violent Dallas past and a federal tax conviction kept him from ever again holding a Nevada gaming license. He died in Las Vegas on December 25, 1989.
Benny Binion at a glance
| Full name | Lester Ben Binion |
|---|---|
| Born | November 20, 1904, Pilot Grove, Texas |
| Died | December 25, 1989, Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Known for | Binion’s Horseshoe (opened 1951); the World Series of Poker (first held 1970) |
| Poker Hall of Fame | Inducted 1990 |
| Family | Wife Teddy Jane; five children, including Jack, Ted and Becky |
Early life
Binion was born in Pilot Grove, Texas. Poor health kept him out of school, and his father, a horse trader, took him along on trading trips instead. He never had a formal education. On those trips he learned to gamble, a common pastime among the traders, farmers and merchants who met at country trade days.
Dallas gambling career
Binion started moonshining during Prohibition at 18, first in El Paso and then in Dallas, where he was convicted twice. He also dealt dice at a hotel casino before opening his own numbers game in 1928.
His rise was violent. In 1931 he pleaded guilty to killing Frank Bolding, a rumrunner, and received a two-year suspended sentence. In 1936 he and an associate killed rival numbers operator Ben Frieden; the indictment was dismissed on grounds of self-defense. The same year he set up the Southland Syndicate, a network of private dice games, and by the end of 1936 he controlled most of the gambling in Dallas. He was also suspected in the 1938 killing of rival Sam Murray but was never indicted.
In 1946 Steve Guthrie was elected Dallas County sheriff, and Binion lost the local protection his games depended on. He left for Las Vegas.
The Herbert Noble feud
Binion’s longest feud was with Dallas gambler Herbert Noble, who refused to raise his payoff to Binion from 25% to 40%. Binion put a price on Noble’s life. In November 1949, a car bomb meant for Noble killed his wife instead. In August 1951 Noble was killed by a bomb at his mailbox.
Binion’s Horseshoe
In 1951 Binion bought the Eldorado Club and the Apache Hotel on Fremont Street and opened them as Binion’s Horseshoe. He set a $500 limit on craps, far above what other casinos would take, and built the business around serious gamblers. The Horseshoe was among the first downtown casinos to put in carpet, send limousines for customers and give free drinks to all players, and it was reportedly the first major casino to offer 100-times odds at craps. His philosophy was “good food, good whiskey cheap, and a good gamble.”
The trouble from Dallas followed him. He lost his Nevada gaming license in 1951, and in 1953 he was sentenced to five years at Leavenworth for tax evasion. He sold a majority stake in the Horseshoe to New Orleans oilman Joe W. Brown. The family regained a controlling interest in 1957 and full control in 1964. Binion never held a gaming license again: his son Jack became president and licensee, Ted became casino manager, and Benny took the title of director of public relations. Teddy Jane ran the casino cage until her death in 1994.
Binion was also a key figure in bringing the National Finals Rodeo to Las Vegas, and he paid cowboys’ entry fees.
The World Series of Poker
In 1970 Binion brought six top players to the Horseshoe for a no-limit hold’em event, after which they voted 63-year-old Johnny Moss the champion. In 1971 the event became a freeze-out with a $10,000 buy-in, and the World Series of Poker was born. Early Horseshoe champions included Bobby Baldwin, who won the 1978 Main Event. Binion was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1990, the year after his death.
What happened to the Horseshoe
After Benny’s death, control of the casino passed through the family, and daughter Becky became president in 1998 after a family legal battle. In 2004 federal agents seized $1 million from the casino’s bankroll over unpaid union benefits, forcing it to close and leading to a sale to Harrah’s Entertainment, now Caesars Entertainment. The Fremont Street property operates today as Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel, owned by TLC Gaming Group.
Legacy
Binion is remembered as one of the people who shaped downtown Las Vegas, alongside contemporaries such as Bill Harrah, and as the man who gave poker its biggest stage. His Dallas years, with their killings and bombings, make that legacy far from simple.
Benny Binion FAQ
Did Benny Binion start the World Series of Poker?
Yes. The first World Series of Poker was held at Binion’s Horseshoe in 1970, and it became a $10,000 freeze-out in 1971.
When did Binion’s Horseshoe open?
In 1951, in the former Eldorado Club and Apache Hotel on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas.
Why did Benny Binion leave Dallas?
Steve Guthrie’s election as Dallas County sheriff in 1946 cost Binion his local protection, and he moved to Las Vegas.
Is Binion’s still open?
Yes. It operates as Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel, owned by TLC Gaming Group rather than the Binion family.
For more casino history, browse our gambling legends or see the best poker rooms in Las Vegas today.