By 1970 he had recovered possession of the Horseshoe. Binion finally went to jail for tax evasion, back in Texas. Running Binion's was a family matter: Two sons had key management roles and his wife, Teddy Jane, kept the books. He continued such stunts and profitably packed the joint. More importantly, though, Binion raised the limits a gambler could bet to 10 times the craps wagers at other casinos. He reputedly also started the system of picking up customers with airport limousines and providing free booze to gamblers. He is credited for first putting carpet on a downtown casino floor-a quaint upgrade by today's mega-resort standards. Benny had a knack for marketing gimmicks. Binion never went to jail for any of them.ĭiminishing tolerance for vice in Texas pushed Binion to Las Vegas, where he opened the gambling hall bearing his name in 1951. More deaths followed in Texas gambling circles. He was convicted of gunning down a competitor but got off easy because the corpse was nefarious.
The would-be cowboy routinely packed pistols. Not all of them played by the rules, and the action Binion went on to provide was as illegal as his Prohibition bootlegging. Born near Dallas, Binion learned gambling as a lad at the feet of horse traders like his father.
