Episode 101 “Bet the Limit: The Benny Binion Story” is Out Now
Who was Benny Binion
Lester Ben “Benny” Binion was born on November 20, 1904, in Pilot Grove, Texas — a small farming community near the Oklahoma border. He grew up in rural poverty. His father traded horses and gambled on the side. As a result, young Benny learned odds and negotiation early in life. He left school after only a few grades and instead followed his father into livestock trading and informal betting circles.
Eventually, Binion moved to Dallas, where he entered the gambling world more seriously. However, behind the business persona stood a family man. In 1929, he married Mary Louise, known as Teddy Jane. Together, they had five children: Jack, Ted, Becky, Brenda, and Barbara. While Benny built a gambling empire, he also built a family — one that would later become deeply tied to the legacy of Las Vegas itself.
The Early Days in Dallas
During the 1920s and 1930s, Benny Binion established himself in Dallas, Texas, as a serious gambling operator. At the time, gambling was illegal in Texas, yet underground betting thrived. Binion ran policy games and sports betting operations. Gradually, he gained control of large portions of the local numbers racket.
However, competition was fierce. Rivalries often turned violent. Binion’s name surfaced in connection with multiple gambling disputes and alleged underworld killings. Although authorities investigated him more than once, convictions never followed. As pressure from law enforcement and federal tax investigators increased in the mid-1940s, Binion made a pivotal decision. He left Texas and headed west — toward a city where gambling was not hidden, but legal.
The Move to Vegas
In 1946, Benny Binion arrived in Las Vegas as the city was beginning to boom. Gambling had been legal in Nevada since 1931, and downtown Fremont Street pulsed with opportunity. Binion settled in quietly at first. He built relationships, studied the regulatory system, and positioned himself within the growing casino scene.
Soon after, he purchased the Eldorado Club and the Apache Hotel. In 1951, he combined them and opened Binion’s Horseshoe. The casino quickly gained attention for its unusually high betting limits. However, scrutiny followed him west. That same year, Nevada regulators revoked his gaming license. Then, in 1953, federal authorities convicted him of income tax evasion. He received a five-year sentence at Leavenworth federal penitentiary and served more than three years. Even so, the Horseshoe endured — and so did his influence in Las Vegas.
Trouble Surrounds Benny Binion
n the late 1940s, tensions escalated between Benny Binion and Las Vegas bookmaker Herbert “The Cat” Noble. Both men operated in the competitive world of sports betting. As rivalries intensified, violence followed. Between 1949 and 1951, Noble survived multiple bombing attempts. Explosives targeted his car and office. Tragically, in 1950, a car bomb intended for Noble killed his wife, Goldie.
Finally, in April 1951, a bomb planted in Noble’s car detonated outside the Last Frontier Hotel, killing him instantly. Law enforcement suspected organized crime involvement. Investigators questioned Binion and examined possible connections. However, no court ever convicted him in relation to Noble’s death. The case remains one of early Las Vegas’s most notorious unsolved chapters.
G. William Coulthard
In 1972, Las Vegas faced another high-profile car bombing. This time, the victim was G. William Coulthard, a prominent real estate developer with major financial interests in Southern Nevada. A bomb placed in his vehicle exploded, killing him and shocking a city that was working to shed its violent reputation.
Authorities later tied the crime to organized crime figures involved in financial disputes. While rumors circulated about broader casino-era tensions, no evidence directly linked Benny Binion to the murder. Still, the killing reflected the volatile power struggles that lingered beneath Las Vegas’s growing corporate image during the early 1970s.
Binion’s Horseshoe Casino
In 1951, Benny Binion purchased the Eldorado Club and the Apache Hotel in downtown Las Vegas. He combined the properties and reopened them as Binion’s Horseshoe. From the beginning, the casino stood apart. Instead of limiting big bets, Binion welcomed them. He encouraged players to “bet the limit” — and often, there was no practical ceiling.
As a result, the Horseshoe earned a reputation as a gambler’s casino. Serious players flocked to Fremont Street for high-stakes craps, poker, and sports betting. Moreover, Binion focused on personal relationships. He extended credit, remembered names, and treated big bettors with respect. Over time, the Horseshoe became a cornerstone of downtown Las Vegas and the birthplace of the World Series of Poker.
Ted Binion’s Murder
In September 1998, Ted Binion, son of Benny Binion, was found dead in his Las Vegas home. Authorities initially ruled the death an overdose, citing heroin and prescription drugs. However, questions quickly emerged. Shortly after his death, Ted’s girlfriend, Sandy Murphy, and her associate, Rick Tabish, were discovered attempting to retrieve a large cache of silver that Ted had stored in an underground desert vault.
Investigators reexamined the circumstances surrounding his death. Prosecutors alleged murder motivated by financial gain. Murphy and Tabish were convicted in 2000, but the convictions were later overturned. After a retrial, both were convicted on lesser charges, including conspiracy and burglary. To this day, debate continues over whether Ted Binion’s death was accidental or intentional.
The Legacy of Benny Binion
Benny Binion died on December 25, 1989, at the age of 85. By then, Las Vegas had transformed dramatically from the frontier-style gambling town he entered in 1946. Corporate resorts were rising on the Strip, and stricter regulation had reshaped the industry. Even so, Binion’s influence remained firmly rooted in downtown Las Vegas.
His greatest legacy endures through Binion’s Horseshoe and the creation of the World Series of Poker. He helped elevate poker from a backroom game to an organized championship event. Moreover, he championed high-stakes gambling and personal relationships with players, shaping casino culture for decades. Although controversy followed him throughout his life, Benny Binion remains one of the most influential figures in modern gambling history.
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