A coin-operated gambling machine was first invented in 1895 by San Francisco inventor Charles Fey. Ten years later, he invented the first “true slot machine.” It had three reels and automatically paid winners. In 1915, the machines were camouflaged to avoid anti-gambling laws and dispensed things like cigarettes, candy and gum every time the handle was pulled. The gum was decorated with illustrations of the flavors. The fruit and bar symbols on machines today evolved from these illustrations. Source: University of New Orleans professor George Fenich’s 1996 paper, “A Chronology of (Legal) Gaming in the U.S.”
UNLV finished 6-5 in its nonconference portion of the season and will look to turn things around when Mountain West play begins Saturday against Fresno State.
A group of trails and campgrounds will be off-limits until at least March as crews from the Federal Highway Administration work on repairs.
Corey Dennis, an assistant coach at Tulsa last season, has been hired by UNLV coach Dan Mullen as offensive coordinator, a source confirmed to the Review-Journal.
While April Becker’s November election as a Republican candidate broke a hegemony held by Democrats since 2008, the attorney said she will aim to steer clear of partisan politics.
Pro sports bettors, handicappers and oddsmakers look to improve on their 54-36-3 ATS (60 percent) run on weekend best bets in the Review-Journal.
Greg Gumbel, a longtime CBS sportscaster, has died from cancer, according to a statement from family released by CBS on Friday. He was 78.
If the College Football Playoff eventually expands, Las Vegas Bowl executive director John Saccenti sees his game as a perfect destination.
The Raiders are consensus 1½-point favorites over the Saints in Sunday’s game at New Orleans, and the total is the lowest on the board at 37½.
Traffic on the Interstate 15 near the state line between Nevada and California was slow Friday afternoon as travelers wrapped up the Christmas holiday.
Saints quarterback Derek Carr is out Sunday with a left hand injury and won’t face the Raiders, his former team, in New Orleans.