Celebrating The Wonderful Women In Gambling History
Noticing a lady at a poker table today is not unusual at all. However, this wasn’t always the case, especially not in the 18th or 19th century. But the gambling tables have turned. There’s no doubt about it.
As many historical records show, female gamblers have been prominent in gaming for centuries, playing a critical role in shaping the modern gaming industry. In fact, the first ever license of legal commercial gambling was granted to a woman – the famous Mayme Stocker in 1931.
When gambling became more and more popular in Europe, it was no surprise that European women also spearheaded their presence in the industry. Very soon after, American women followed through although they were still too weary to talk openly about their gambling habits. That was because, at the time, the presence of women on the gambling scene was still greeted with resistance.
Women usually hid their gambling activities from their friends and families because it was thought to be compromising for a lady to engage in such practices. Later, however, the slot machine became popular among ladies because it was a pastime they could indulge in whilst their partners took over the casino table games. However, when roulette entered the scene, the presence of women gamblers became more stable and more visible.
A lot has changed since then in gambling and as with many industries, women are taking the lead. Now let’s meet some of the awesome ladies who made gambling history and set the standards in a world dominated by men.
In England, during the 1700’s, the only legal gambling that was permitted were lotteries authorized by the government. But illegal or not, this didn’t stop the nobility from playing their favourite games. In fact, a group of aristocratic women called the “Faro Ladies” became famous for engaging in games of Faro which is a distant relative of Poker. Lady Buckinghamshire, Lady Sarah Archer, Mrs Sturt, Mrs Concannon, and Lady Elizabeth Luttrell would often host Faro tables late into the night. Well-known for their love of gambling, the noble ladies also provided a place for women of the aristocracy to gather, socialize and play as they discussed political and social matters.
Going forward to the 19th century, we meet the notorious Eleanor Dumont, also known as Madame Mustache, who was one of the first known professional blackjack players in American history. Born in France, DuMont would later move to Nevada City, California to establish her own very successful Blackjack salon. Even though Blackjack has long been considered a men’s game, Eleanor DuMont made a name for herself and kept her reputation for more than two decades. She was nominated for the Blackjack Hall of Fame but unfortunately did not secure enough votes to gain her entry.
Now let’s go to the dusty wild, wild West and swing open the doors of the most popular saloons. It was there that one of the most legendary women in the history of poker began her career. Her name was Alice Ivers Duffield Tubbs Huckert or Poker Alice.
This badass lady began by dealing at the poker tables, developing a skill for counting cards and figuring out odds. Considered a force to be reckoned with, Alice would win up to $6,000 on a good night and she always began her game by saying ‘praise the Lord and place your bets…I’ll take your money with no regrets’. Can we hear an ‘yee-haw’?
Another gambling lady of the wild, wild West, Lottie Deno was an extremely talented and successful player. She earned the title of ‘Poker Queen’ when she’d bested Doc Holiday himself, who was a famous American gambler, gunfighter, and…dentist.
Going forward to the 1930s, we see that not all pioneers of the Las Vegas casino business were sharp dressed mobsters with machine guns as depicted in Hollywood movies. In fact, as we mentioned before, Las Vegas’ first lawful casino license was held by Mayme Stocker – a woman so respectable her birthday parties were covered in the Las Vegas newspaper society pages. This can truly be seen as part of the American dream because Mayme didn’t have any personal background in the gaming business but still managed to bet on the winning move.
Today, there are enough famous female gamblers to shift the balance toward the fairer sex and no one can question their talent and determination. Women gamblers have been prominent in all aspects of gambling, and even in high stake Poker tournaments. With that said, it won’t be long until we see a lady becoming the world Poker champion.
