Jackpot

The town of Jackpot, which sits on Nevada's northeastern border, began to emerge after Idaho outlawed slot machines in 1953. The Horseshu Club was built in 1954, and it was followed by the establishment of Cactus Pete's two years later. The two casinos immediately drew customers from Idaho, and in that same year they succeeded in doubling the number of vehicles traveling along Highway 93, which bisects the town's business section.

In 1959, the Nevada Gaming Commission approved table gaming in Jackpot, which included cards, dice, and roulette. It was during that year that the town's name changed from Unincorporated Town No. One to Jackpot. The measure led to rapid growth, and by the 1960s, the town supported six casinos, an elementary school, and a post office. In 1964 the management of the Horseshu Club merged with that of Cactus Pete's.

Jackpot's casinos expanded throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and the town reached a milestone in 1984 with the construction of a high school. It first appeared on the census in 1980 with a population of 809.

Today, Jackpot supports an airport, a school, and an eighteen-hole golf course. Its major casinos include Barton's Club 93, Cactus Pete's, Four Jacks, West Star, and The Horseshu. The town is surrounded by prime hunting and fishing areas, and has promoted itself as an outdoorsman's destination. In 2000, its population stood at 1,214.

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