• Jack Binion
• Benny Binion Jr
• Benny Binion Bucking Horse Sale
• Benny Binion Book
• Benny Binion Bio
• Becky Binion

Binion had grown up in Texas, where he developed a lucrative business running illicit gambling operations before moving to Las Vegas to open Binion’s Horseshoe casino. Books, articles. Benny and Francis “Teddy” Jane Binion had five children. In age order: Barbara, Jack, Brenda, Lonnie “Ted,” and Becky. Teddy Jane died in 1994, having survived Benny by five years. Barbara Binion Fechser had three sons. Hopefully the Legacy of Benny Binion will live on in Las Vegas and in the world of rodeo, as he was instrumental in bringing the National Finals Rodeo to Las Vegas in 1985. With the move came a large increase in the cowboy’s purse and fees paid to the stock contractors for bucking horses and bulls.

Benny's Smokin' BBQ & Brews Enjoy mouth watering, slow cooked, smoked BBQ in downtown Las Vegas at Benny's Smokin' BBQ & Brews. Take pleasure in a full rack of BBQ smoked ribs, ½ BBQ chicken, or a combination of both. If you want the beef, try our slow cooked, smoked to perfection brisket. Racketeer, self-styled cowboy, and early Vegas casino owner Benny Binion is about to get the TV treatment courtesy of Dallas billionaire Tim Headington and his Hollywood production company.

1990 Inductee

Jack Binion

Benny Binion

Industry Leader

Benny Binion (1904-1989) is a pioneer in downtown Las Vegas gambling and poker.

Benny Binion Jr

Born in Pilot Grove, Texas, Binion developed an early interest in gambling. As a young man, he moved in horse-trading circles and, as most of the horse traders were inveterate gamblers, also became a gambler.

In 1928, Binoin began running a 'numbers' or 'policy' operation in Dallas. During Prohibition, Binion by his own admission 'did some bootlegging' but never ran a profit. Beginning in 1936, he got involved in the 'dice business' (illegal craps games). In 1946, Binion came out on the losing end of electoral politics, and, lacking political protection, was forced to close his operations in Dallas.

Benny Binion Bucking Horse Sale

Benny Binion Book

While some of his confederates went to Reno, Binion followed J. Kell Houssels to Las Vegas, where he acquired a part ownership of the Las Vegas Club. Binion then built the Westerner, but in 1951 decided to buy the Eldorado Club.

Binion renamed the gambling hall the Horseshoe and immediately installed carpeting--a novel idea for downtown clubs at the time. The Horseshoe was, from the beginning, a family affair; his two sons, Ted and Jack, supervised the games and his wife Teddy Jane kept the books.

Benny Binion Bio

The Horseshoe gained a reputation for high limits, the trademark of Binion's approach to gambling.

Becky Binion

In 1970, Binion hosted the first World Series of Poker, then a small tournament of truly elite players. The World Series was both a poker tournament and a premier advertisement for the casino. Other marketing efforts included the famous $1 million dollar display and a working stagecoach that traveled the rodeo circuit.

In 1988, the Horseshoe acquired its next-door neighbor the Mint. The Horseshoe's neon facade soon enveloped the Mint, and the Mint's highrise tower gave the Horseshoe a bevy of hotel rooms and a new vertical prominence.

Binion died on Christmas Day, 1989, and left behind a tremendous legacy, both for his downtown casino and his role in creating high stakes tournament poker. Though the casino he once ran is no longer called the 'Horseshoe,' it is still known as 'Binion's,' in recognition of the patriarch's memory and reputation.