If you walked down Virginia Street in Reno back in the day, you couldn't miss it. The neon mural of a pioneer wagon train wasn't just a sign; it was a beacon for every bored housewife, weary traveler, and high roller in the American West. Harolds Club Reno Nevada was more than a casino. It was the place that dragged gambling out of the smoke-filled backrooms and put it right in the middle of Main Street. Honestly, without the Smith family and their wild ideas, the modern casino industry as we know it—from the glitz of the Vegas Strip to your local tribal gaming hall—might not even exist.
It started small. Like, really small. In 1935, Raymond "Pappy" Smith and his son Harold opened a tiny parlor with just two penny roulette games. At the time, Reno was the "Divorce Capital of the World," but the gambling scene was still a bit... let's say, intimidating. It was mostly men in hats hunched over green felt in dark corners. Pappy changed that. He realized that if you made a place feel like a carnival, people would actually enjoy losing their money.
Why Harolds Club Reno Nevada Was Actually Different
Most people think "Vegas" when they think of gambling history. But before Bugsy Siegel even broke ground on the Flamingo, Harolds Club Reno Nevada was rewriting the rules. They were the first to hire female dealers. Think about that for a second. In the 1930s and 40s, a woman behind a craps table was revolutionary. It made the environment feel safer and more social for families and women traveling alone. Pappy Smith used to walk the floors in a rumpled suit, handing out silver dollars and chatting with everyone. He was basically the first celebrity casino host.
The marketing was even crazier. You might have heard of the "Harolds Club or Bust" campaign. They put up over 2,000 billboards across the entire world. I'm not kidding. There were signs in Africa, Antarctica, and all over Europe. It turned a local Reno spot into a global landmark. It was the first time a casino became a "must-visit" tourist destination rather than just a place to bet on horses.
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The Famous Seven-Story Expansion
By the 1950s, the club was massive. They expanded upward because they couldn't go outward. This created a weird, vertical maze of gaming. You had the Roaring '20s Room and the Silver Dollar Bar, where the floor was literally paved with 2,300 silver dollars. It was tacky. It was brilliant. It was Nevada.
The club also housed an incredible Gun Collection. We're talking thousands of rare firearms, from antique dueling pistols to rifles that supposedly belonged to famous outlaws. It was one of the largest private collections in the world, valued at millions of dollars. For decades, tourists would wander through the museum on the upper floors with a cocktail in hand, staring at the history of the Old West before heading back down to the blackjack tables.
What Really Happened to the Smith Empire?
Things started to shift in the 1970s. The corporate era of gaming arrived. The Smith family eventually sold the club to Howard Hughes' Summa Corporation in 1970 for about $11.5 million. It was the end of the "ma and pa" era of giant casinos.
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Hughes didn't really know how to run a "people's casino." The personal touch—the thing that made Harolds Club Reno Nevada legendary—started to fade. It passed through several hands, including the Fitzgeralds group, before finally closing its doors for good in 1995. The building stood vacant for years, a ghost of the Biggest Little City's prime, until it was demolished in 2002 to make way for a plaza.
The Legacy Most People Overlook
If you look at a modern casino today, you see the fingerprints of Harolds Club everywhere. The "open-door" policy? That was them. The idea that a casino should be an entertainment complex with museums and themes? That was them too.
- Visible Odds: Pappy Smith was one of the first to insist that the rules of the games be posted clearly so players didn't feel cheated.
- The "Poor Man's" Paradise: They pioneered the "nickel and dime" players' market, proving that volume was more profitable than just chasing whales.
- The Mural: That iconic mosaic on the front of the building—depicting the settlement of the West—is now preserved at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. It’s a massive piece of art that still reminds locals of what the skyline used to look like.
Some historians argue that Reno lost its soul when Harolds Club came down. It represented a time when gambling was a gritty, friendly, Western adventure rather than a sanitized corporate experience. While the physical building is gone, the impact on gaming culture is permanent.
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How to Experience the History Today
If you’re a history buff or a gaming enthusiast, you can’t visit the original tables anymore, but you can still find the remnants.
First, go see the mural. It’s located at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center on South Virginia Street. It’s huge and surprisingly detailed. Second, visit the Nevada State Historical Society. They have an extensive archive of Harolds Club memorabilia, including the famous "Pioneer" uniforms the waitresses wore and original "Or Bust" signage.
For those who collect, the secondary market for Harolds Club chips and silver strikes is huge. Because they minted so many "commemorative" items, you can still find authentic pieces of the club for relatively cheap on sites like eBay or at local Reno antique shops. Look for the "Jim Beam" decanters shaped like slot machines or cowboys; they were a staple of the club's gift shop and are now prime collector's items.
Finally, take a walk down the 200 block of North Virginia Street. There’s a commemorative plaque near where the entrance used to be. Stand there for a minute and imagine the sound of thousands of silver dollars hitting the trays and the glow of the neon wagon train overhead. That’s where modern Nevada was born.
Actionable Steps for History Seekers
- Visit the Mural: Head to the Reno-Sparks Convention Center to see the 110-foot long mosaic. It's the most significant surviving piece of the property.
- Check the Archives: The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) holds many of the Smith family's personal papers and business records if you want to dig into the actual financial mechanics of the club.
- Scout for Memorabilia: If you're buying chips, look for the "H" inlay with the distinct 1950s font to ensure authenticity.
- Read "I Want to Quit Winners": This is Harold Smith's autobiography. It’s a wild, unfiltered look at his gambling addiction, his relationship with his father, and the chaotic early days of the club. It's the best primary source available.