Automatic Age
Issue: 1933 August - Page 13
August, 1933
AUTOMATIC AGE
13
The Operator on
America’s Last Frontier
By DON AUSTIN
EVADA— perhaps the smallest in
population of any of the forty-eight
states offers a picture of coin ma
chine operating that is unique.
This state, which furnished the silver to
finance the Civil War from its great mines,
in those days in their hey-day, has con
tributed also a great part of the silver for
coins to operate machines all over the
United States.
Here we still find the “ Last Frontier” of
American civilization, for although modern
in all respects and up to the minute, it is
the only state in the union in which gam-
blng in all forms is legalized and operates
under state license. Of course this has a
direct bearing on the coin machine indus
try and automatically closes the territory
to great numbers of amusement machines
that are elsewhere popular.
In the nothe’ n part of the state we find
Reno, “ The Biggest Little City in the
World”— and indeed it is— for a busier,
more glamorous city of its size may be
found nowhere.
N
© International Arcade Museum
Gateway to Dam
In the southern part is Las Vegas, the
“ Gateway to Boulder Dam”— situated only
thirty miles from this great project where
$165,000,000 is being spent to construct the
largest dam of its kind in the world. To
complete it by 1936, a city has sprung up
to house the workers, and officials. This is
Boulder City, with a population of around
five thousand. It is policed by the Federal
Government and no gambling or machines
of any variety are allowed except the
amusement machines operated, by “ Six
Companies,” the contractor for the dam
construction.
But in Las Vegas and Reno we find a dif
ferent situation, each are strategically lo
cated. Reno, in the north, drawing a large
tourist business from San Francisco and
Sacramento and also the transcontinental
highway on which it is located. Las Vegas
in the south is only a six hour drive from
Los Angeles and many people make the
week end trip for a little recreation and
also to visit the Boulder Dam project.
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
AUTOMATIC AGE
13
The Operator on
America’s Last Frontier
By DON AUSTIN
EVADA— perhaps the smallest in
population of any of the forty-eight
states offers a picture of coin ma
chine operating that is unique.
This state, which furnished the silver to
finance the Civil War from its great mines,
in those days in their hey-day, has con
tributed also a great part of the silver for
coins to operate machines all over the
United States.
Here we still find the “ Last Frontier” of
American civilization, for although modern
in all respects and up to the minute, it is
the only state in the union in which gam-
blng in all forms is legalized and operates
under state license. Of course this has a
direct bearing on the coin machine indus
try and automatically closes the territory
to great numbers of amusement machines
that are elsewhere popular.
In the nothe’ n part of the state we find
Reno, “ The Biggest Little City in the
World”— and indeed it is— for a busier,
more glamorous city of its size may be
found nowhere.
N
© International Arcade Museum
Gateway to Dam
In the southern part is Las Vegas, the
“ Gateway to Boulder Dam”— situated only
thirty miles from this great project where
$165,000,000 is being spent to construct the
largest dam of its kind in the world. To
complete it by 1936, a city has sprung up
to house the workers, and officials. This is
Boulder City, with a population of around
five thousand. It is policed by the Federal
Government and no gambling or machines
of any variety are allowed except the
amusement machines operated, by “ Six
Companies,” the contractor for the dam
construction.
But in Las Vegas and Reno we find a dif
ferent situation, each are strategically lo
cated. Reno, in the north, drawing a large
tourist business from San Francisco and
Sacramento and also the transcontinental
highway on which it is located. Las Vegas
in the south is only a six hour drive from
Los Angeles and many people make the
week end trip for a little recreation and
also to visit the Boulder Dam project.
http://www.arcade-museum.com/
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).