Cal Neva Casino to close

We know that the land based casino business is not doing too well at the moment from the reports coming out of Las Vegas but now we have to say a sad farewell to one of the oldest casinos around, the Cal Neva which is located on Lake Tahoe and gets its name from being on the border between California and Nevada. Opened in 1926 which makes it probably Americas oldest licensed casino it has a very chequered history; it has tunnels that enabled alcohol to be smuggled in during the prohibition and was reportedly the location of the first public appearance of Judy Garland in 1935. In the early 1960s it was bought by none other than Frank Sinatra in partnership with well known Chicago mobster Sam Giancana and was equipped with a rooftop helicopter pad and a celebrity show room. These were the heydays when the blackjack and roulette tables were frequented by film stars and other personalities as well as the rest of the “rat pack” (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jnr, Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop). Marilyn Monroe is said to have spent the last weekend of her life there as a guest of Lawford and his wife and Joe DiMaggio, the second husband of Monroe is also known to have been a regular. Many other rumours surround the establishment including visits by John F Kennedy and even his father Joe Kennedy who supposedly took his secretary there each year.

The resort which includes a hotel and restaurant which remain open has been living off it’s history which does not attract the younger gamblers . It seems that online casinos and gambling resorts on Indian reservations have also been instrumental in the demise of this once famous casino.