Slot Machine ownership in the 1940s

[Richard8129]

I am new to the site and I hope that someone can help me out on a historical question.

As a member of the Big Bear Lake Historical Society I am doing a research article on gambling (use of slot machines) in the Big Bear Lake, California area during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Several newspaper articles from the LA Daily News, there were many slot machines in the San Bernardino County area at that time. One article stipulated that there were approximately 1100 machines in the county with over 100 being in Big Bear itself at that time.

My question is: at that time were slot machines privately owned or where the being leased from another company, distributor or individual? Also were there any known repair places when one of the machines needed maintenance? I can not imagine that the owner of a small grocery store would attempt to fix a slot machine by himself.

[randyvw]

i can't help you with your question, but when i was giving a talk on slot machines to the victor valley historical society maybe 20 years ago, i had an interesting conversation with an older gentleman. i had asked the crowd if anyone knew anything about slots on location in the area, as i was interested in LOCAL history. this one guy said that they had some slots at the local "lodge", or club of some type(don't remember which), and one night they got a call from a friendly in the police department, or somebody higher up. they were told their machines would be confiscated the next day, so they cleaned them out and took them to the big bear dam and pitched them into the water. i told the guy i thought that might have happened on dec 31 1950, when the johnson was about to be enacted. i DO know an old-timer here in hesperia that was a cop in 1949, and he MIGHT know something about slot mechanics in this area. i will ask him next time i see him. i am definitely interested in hearing any local history on slots and gambling....especially interior photos of cigar stores, bars, drug stores, soda fountains. i Used to own a console pageboy that came from a bar in crestline....one more thing. newt bass had the apple valley inn and he had a room full of slots there at one time, but it was never clear to me if he was a collector, or MORE likely he was running a gambling operation, because it was a getaway for the stars of the 30's to the 60's....sorry to get off the subject, but i hope you are as interested in the history as much as i am.

[Richard8129]

Randy...thanks for your reply. My question all stems from reseaching the history on one of our local restaurants here in Big Bear California. In 1947 a group of investors started a restaurant by the name of the Sportsman's Restaurant. The group of owners included Andy Devine of TV Western fame, Hank Halstead a big band leader from the 1920s and 1930s and Dick Probert a Hollwood stunt pilot among other accomplishments. The restaurant is not only famous because of it's owners but there was stories of gambling (which included card games, roulette wheel and slot machines. There were allegations of embezzlement and even a related suicide.

As for the gambling- slot machines, the LA Daily News at that time published several articles concerning the use of slot machines in the San Bernardino County. (Randy I will send them to you separately for your review). As for the stories of dumping the slot machines in the lake, I have heard all sorts of variations of that idea. It is hard for me to believe that anyone would dump items worth $300 to $1000 into the lake. Also Big Bear Lake has almost gone completely dry several times in the past (1959 and 1965) and there are no local newspaper stories or local old timer stories on finding any slot machines. Over the years various deaths have occurred on the lake itself that has resulted in San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department divers having to dive to the lake bottom and nothing of the gambling sorts have ever been reported. But it does make some nice material for local folk lore.

[Midcoast Vintage]

For more info on the SPORTSMAN'S RESTAURANT, click on this link:
http://www.angelfire.com/indie/anna_jones1/rogers.html
For more info & photo of the slot machines in hiding, click on this link:
http://the-wanderling.com/roselli.html#N5500
For more info on the seized slot machines, click on this link:
http://socalmountains.com/e107_files/pu ... ed_out.pdf
For more info on Johnny Roselli, click on this link:
http://www.investigatingtheterror.com/d ... ossier.pdf

[nvmos2]

Midcoast;
Excellent links to some interesting articles/history!
Thanks.

Richard;
Prior to implementation of the Johnson Act in 1951, slot machines were operated all over the country in all types of businesses;
gambling/slot machine operation was controlled by state and local laws, which varied widely.

I'm not familiar with your left coast history, but generally speaking, the business of operating slots took on all forms of business operations;
the manufacturers had distributors, salesmen and route men in every state.
Locations with slots might own and maintain them or depend upon a route man/outside operator and just take a cut of the profits for providing the location.

I disagree with some of your thinking;
A small business might very well own/maintain a few slots;
back then, the working class was much more independent/handy and mechanically inclined.
They did not call in a specialist or depend upon the government to fix all their problems.
My grandfather owned a furniture store in Cleveland, OH with a single slot in the back corner,
which he owned, operated and maintained.
To this day, it (Jennings Dutch Boy) is still collecting nickels at my house.

I can see some one with slots "worth $300 to $1000" dumping them into a lake.
Once an item comes under the thumb of a government which decides that its mere possession is illegal and subject to heavy fines or imprisonment,
it losses its value and becomes a liability.
Changing laws forced thousands upon thousands of slot machines to be confiscated or destroyed by their owners; many of which are still buried in the silt of the oceans, rivers and lakes.
Fortunately, many others were hidden away for our discovery/enjoyment today.

[Richard8129]

I would like to respond to "Midcoast Vintage". Thanks for the posting of the various websites that have referrences to slot machines. I was unaware of one of them, have previously reviewed two of them and the one involving "SoCalMountains" was written by me. It is strange how all things appear to come around to the same spot. Nevertheless you never know what the other person has knowledge of. Again thanks for your time in posting the information. It may spark some interest in some of the other members.

[Richard8129]

I would like to respond to "nvmos2" posting. Thanks for taking the time to write that post and sharing the information.

You asked about the history of slot machines here on the West Coast (California). As "Midcoast Vintage" has psoted there is a website titled www.socalmountains.com where I posted a great deal about the history of slot machines here in the San Bernardino County area. Please check it out. When you go to the sebsite, click on "History" and then skroll down to "Sportmans Tavern History". Because the document that I created was so large I posted the information a chapter (Appendix) at a time. I think that there are two sections that could be of main interest to you and others. Click on "Gambling in Big Bear and the Sportsman's Tavern" and "Appendix H LA Daily News". I would love to hear any comments or additional information that may come from reading those sections.

Do you have any idea on what percentage of the slot machines were owned by individuals verses "equipment leasing " companies?

Does anyone have any knowledge on who were the slot machine distributors or "Route Men" that were operating out here on the West Coast?

Again thanks for taking an interest in this subject.

[Midcoast Vintage]

I would like to respond to "Midcoast Vintage". Thanks for the posting of the various websites that have referrences to slot machines. I was unaware of one of them, have previously reviewed two of them and the one involving "SoCalMountains" was written by me. It is strange how all things appear to come around to the same spot. Nevertheless you never know what the other person has knowledge of. Again thanks for your time in posting the information. It may spark some interest in some of the other members.

You are more than welcome.

[randyvw]

"slot machines that cost 200 to 1000 dollars"?...i am not sure slots cost that much back then?....it seems to ME that i remember they were way under a hundred dollars each back then.....anyone got some old coinslot magazines or billboard or other adds to check that out? that just doesn't seem right to me....and someone said they didn't "load them into boats" to take them out and dump them, but it was said to ME that they took them to the dam and threw them off. after all those years i would imagine all sorts of items would be thrown off the dam, or other debris floating to the end of the lake and sinking to cover them up, not to mention the mud that must have collected down there. i myself can imagine if you got word that a federal law banning ALL gambling devices across virtually ALL states, promising prison time for several years, it would put the fear of god in just about anybody....remember that the story I TOLD maybe/probably wasn't even connected to the sportsman tavern. one thing's sure, the owners of the machines VERY often had friends in law enforcement to warn them when things were heating up.