Las Vegans how important is Binion to the development of your town?

Answer 1

The late Benny Binion was one of the pioneers in developing downtown Las Vegas, as opposed to the Strip. There's even a statue of him astride a horse, on Ogden Street, right next to the parking garage for the Horeshoe. He's the one who started the World Series of Poker tournament.
But, my best Benny Binion story concerns his teaching an actor turned song and dance man how to play poker. That actor was doing a series of shows at the Last Frontier Hotel on the Strip. He later went on to become President: Ronald Wilson Reagan. I think Benny's statue should be moved to the foyer of the State Department in Washington. Reagan played "Texas Hold 'Em" for eight years against the Russians and beat them. Benny, to me, was one of the unsung heroes of the Cold War.

Answer 2

HE WAS 0NE 0F THE FiRST T0 BUiLD A CASiN0 iN LAS VEGAS. HE DiD START THE W0RLD SERiES P0KER T0URNAMENT AS WELL. N0W, AS T0 HiM C0NTRiBUTiNG T0 THE DEVEL0PMENT 0F THiS T0WN... i CANT REALLY SAY. THE CASiN0S D0 BRiNG iN M0NEY... BUT 0THER LAS VEGAS L0CALS WiLL PR0BABLY AGREE WiTH ME WHEN i SAY THAT HiM AS A PERS0N, HASNT HELPED 0UR DEVEL0PMENT. A PERCENTAGE 0F THE M0NEY HiS CASiN0 MAKES, S0MEWHAT D0ES.