Chicago Casino Poker Product Companies

2017
H. C. Evans & Company
Industrycasino, amusement park and fairground equipment
FateCollapsed
SuccessorEvans Park & Carnival Device Corporation
(ceased trading after June 1961)
Founded1892
Defunct1955
HeadquartersChicago
Dick Hood (President and CEO)

H. C. Evans & Company of Chicago was once a leading manufacturer of casino equipment and supplies - both honest and crooked - in the United States. It was established in 1892 and collapsed in 1955. It was succeeded by Evans Park & Carnival Device Corporation, which was still in business in June 1961 but no longer trades, and by Evans Supply Company, which was trading in 1962 but no longer trades.

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In addition to casino equipment and supplies, the company manufactured and sold trade stimulators, pocket novelties, amusement park supplies, fair ground games and shooting galleries.

History[edit]

Established in 1892, the firm was incorporated in 1907. By 1909 it was located at 125 Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois. By the 1920s, the firm had moved to 1528 W. Adams Street, Chicago, Illinois. In 1929 it claimed to be the oldest firm of its kind in existence and, with 52,000 square feet (4,800 m2) of office and factory space, the largest factory in the world engaged in the exclusive manufacture of the types of products for which it was known.

On April 26, 1944, a representative of the firm, Dick Hood, was appointed to a planning committee of the coin machine manufacturing industry. The committee was concerned with the transition of the coin machine factories from war production back to their former use. Mr Hood's contribution to the firm was acknowledged in its 1909 product range, which included 'The Dick Hood Cage the only perfect cage ever manufactured.'.[1]

In December 1948, the firm purchased the phonography inventory of Mills Novelty Company, a manufacturer of jukeboxes and then launched its first jukebox.

In about October 1953, the firm's President and Chief Executive Officer, Dick Hood, died.

In March 1954 the firm introduced its last coin-operated console slot machine, named Saddle and Turf. The firm collapsed less than a year later.

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In 1961 Evans Park & Carnival Device Corporation was located at 1509 N. Halsted Street, Chicago 22, Illinois. Its catalogue included the Evans 'Herby' Kart supplied by Evans Supply Company of 794 Central Avenue, Highland Park, Illinois.

Crooked casino equipment[edit]

Gambling wheel by H. C. Evans

From about 1914 the firm published a catalogue known as 'The Secret Blue Book', which included details of crooked casino equipment supplied by the firm. By 1929 the catalogue had been discontinued because 'during the past several years this book has been copied and infringed upon by numerous unscrupulous individuals'.

The 1929 catalogue offered the firm's customers 'special dice', 'special prepared cards', and 'electro magnets'.

Special dice included staples such as white or transparent 'filled dice' or 'shaped percentage dice' but also items said to be proprietary to the firm: 'tapping dice', 'gravitation dice', 'new idea crap dice' and 'novelty dice'.

In the case of special prepared cards, that is marked cards, the firm claimed to have been leaders in their manufacture since the end of 19th Century. The cards listed in the catalogue were 'marked for size only'; to have the suit show as well cost a further 25 cents. Prepared cards also included 'luminous readers' and the associated equipment ('ruby ray' glasses and visors or eye shades).

The firm's 'Giant Electro Magnet' was promoted as 'the latest development in electromagnetism for the control of dice'. It was available as a separate component or incorporated in a regulation 32-inch (810 mm) card table, and used with transparent 'electric dice'.

Pinball and other coin-op games[edit]

Pinball and other coin-op games sold under the Evans brand included the following:[2]

  • Kings of the Turf (1935) - Pinball
  • Big Ten (1935) - Pinball
  • Olympic Games (1935) - Pinball
  • Tango (1935) - Pinball
  • Clipper (1936) - Pinball
  • Lite A Basket (1936) - Pinball
  • Poker-eno (1936) - Pinball
  • Roll-ette (1936) - Pinball
  • Ski-Ball (1940) - Other
  • Play Ball (1941) - Pinball
  • Bat-A-Score (1948) - Pinball

Ski-Ball was protected by United Statespatent No. 2,181,984, granted on 5 December 1939 to Joe H. Warner of Chicago, Illinois and assigned to Duane W. Price, also of Chicago.[3]However all 5 claims in that patent specify that they are for a bowling machine. This would be very easy to get around with a competing manikin based Skee Ball or golf machine.

Jukeboxes[edit]

In December 1948, H. C. Evans purchased the complete phonography inventory of Mills Novelty Company of Chicago, a manufacturer of jukeboxes - including a model named the Constellation (model number 951).[4] Mills had become financially troubled by January 1948.[5] In 1949, H. C. Evans launched its first jukebox, also named the Constellation (model number 135). This was followed by the Jubilee (in 1952, model numbers 245 and 278), the Century (in 1953, model number 2045), and the Holiday (in 1953, model number 4045).[6] In addition, a 50 select jukebox, the Evans Jewel, was introduced in 1954; only one is known to exist at this time.[citation needed]

Karts[edit]

A couple of karts were sold under the Evans brand. The first was the Evans Special (or SPL). The second was the Evans Flyweight. The karts were known for their handling.[7]

References[edit]

  1. ^Terry Cumming. 'WW2 Pinball Stories - Industry People and Mfrs'. Retrieved 2006-08-28.
  2. ^'Internet Pinball Database'. Retrieved 2006-08-27.
  3. ^'US patent 2,181,984'. United States Patent and Trademark Office. Retrieved 2006-08-27.
  4. ^'Constellation Standard Model 951'. Retrieved 2006-08-27.
  5. ^'Tucker (The Man and his Dream) and the Mills Jukebox'. Retrieved 2006-08-27.
  6. ^'Other Jukebox Manufacturers Serial #'s & Estimated Production'. Retrieved 2006-08-27.
  7. ^'1961 Evans Kart Catalog'. Retrieved 2006-08-27.

External links[edit]

  • Jukebox-World Forum, serial numbers, classified ads and more
  • DiceCollector.com Advertisements More H. C. Evans Catalogs
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=H._C._Evans&oldid=827285366'

Introduction to Illinois Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2019

Illinois slot machine casino gambling consists of ten riverboat casinos, the second U.S. state to offer them, as well as video gaming terminals (VLTs) in small businesses approved by local governments.

Illinois’ riverboat casinos have both minimum and maximum payout limits and monthly return statistics publicly available.

This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.

Subscribe to the Professor Slots podcast at Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts iHeart Radio Spotify Stitcher Pandora Tune-In SoundCloud RadioPublic Android RSS and wherever else you find podcasts!

Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Illinois*

The minimum legal gambling age in illinois does not depend upon the gambling activity: Which slot machines are class iii at tulalip.

  • Casinos: 21
  • Poker Rooms: 21
  • Bingo: 18
  • Lottery: 18
  • Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18

The Illinois Riverboat Gambling Act enacted in February 1990 legalized riverboat gambling on open water outside of Cook County. This restriction protected wagering on horseracing in the Chicago area, approved in 1927.

Since 1990, Illinois has offered only ten gaming licenses for riverboat casinos. Originally, riverboat casinos in Illinois had to cruise, but a new state law in 1999 allowed permanent docking.

Each riverboat is legally authorized to have up to a total of 1,200 gaming machines including positions available at table games. The Illinois Gaming Board assumes each craps table offers ten positions while all other table games and keno offer only five gaming positions.

In 2005, the Illinois state legislature established an admissions tax of $2 or $3. Admission is $2 at Jumer’s Casino Rock Island and $3 at all the other riverboat casinos. Illinois riverboat casinos also has restricted hours of operation, closing for two hours each day, usually around 6 a.m. to 8 a.m.

In 2009, the Illinois state legislature passed the Video Gaming Act, allowing video gaming terminals in “Licensed Retail Establishments, Truck Stops, Veteran and Fraternal Establishments.”

The Act also offered local municipalities the ability to opt-out of hosting these video gaming terminal locations. Nevertheless, it took until 2012 for the Illinois Gaming Board to provide mass approvals for these video gaming licenses to many license applicants.

The Illinois Gaming Board hosts a website with extensive and thoroughly detailed descriptions of its state gambling laws for Casino Gambling and Video Gaming.

*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.

Slot Machine Private Ownership in Illinois

In Illinois, it is legal to own a slot machine privately if manufactured 25 or more years ago.

Gaming Control Board in Illinois

The Illinois Gaming Board provides gaming regulations and tax collection for slot machine gambling activities in Illinois. It also has gaming control commissions for other forms of gambling including the Illinois Lottery and the Illinois Racing Board.

Further, the Illinois Casino Gaming Association (ICGA) represents nine of the ten riverboat casinos. The ICGA provides statistics on charitable giving by the riverboat casinos as well as supporting responsible gaming.

Casinos in Illinois

There are ten riverboat casinos in Illinois.

The largest casino in Illinois is Hollywood Casino Joliet with 1,177 gaming machines, 20 table games, and five poker tables.

The second-largest casino is Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino with 1,172 gaming machines, 21 table games, and five poker tables.

Commercial Casinos in Illinois

The ten riverboat casinos in Illinois are:

  1. Argosy’s Alton Belle Casino located 158 miles south of Peoria and across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri.
  2. Casino Queen in East St. Louis located 165 miles south of Peoria and across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri.
  3. Grand Victoria Casino Elgin located 42 miles west of downtown Chicago.
  4. Harrah’s Joliet located 45 miles southwest of downtown Chicago.
  5. Harrah’s Metropolis located in the southernmost tip of Illinois or 167 miles southeast of St. Louis, Missouri.
  6. Hollywood Casino Aurora located 42 miles west of downtown Chicago.
  7. Hollywood Casino Joliet located 45 miles southwest of downtown Chicago.
  8. Jumer’s Casino & Hotel in Rock Island located 101 miles northwest of Peoria on the Mississippi River border to Iowa.
  9. Par-A-Dice Casino in East Peoria located three miles northwest of Peoria.
  10. Rivers Casino in Des Plaines located 20 miles northwest of downtown Chicago.

In November 2019, 7,149 retail locations in Illinois offered video lottery terminals. In total, there are 33,019 active VLT gaming machines. Given riverboat casinos have at most 1,200 slot machines each, VLTs at local businesses equate to nearly 30 casinos of a similar size.

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Tribal Casinos in Illinois

Illinois has no federally-recognized American Indian tribes. Therefore, there are no tribal casinos in Illinois.

Other Gambling Establishments

As an alternative to enjoying Illinois slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Illinois is:

  1. North: Wisconsin Slots
  2. East: Indiana Slots
  3. Southeast: Kentucky Slots
  4. West: Iowa Slots and Missouri Slots

Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Illinois.

Our Illinois Slots Facebook Group

Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Illinois? If so, join our new Illinois slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.

There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in Illinois. Join us!

Payout Returns in Illinois

Illinois has established payout limits of 80% and 100% over the lifetime of a slot machine. Further, the Illinois Gaming Board provides monthly return statistics for Casino Gaming as well as for Video Gaming.

The November 2019 report on return statistics for the month of October at the ten riverboat casinos of Illinois include the following Player Win%:

  • Argosy’s Alton Belle Casino: 90.94%
  • Casino Queen: 91.57%
  • Grand Victoria Casino Elgin: 90.97%
  • Harrah’s Joliet: 92.24%
  • Harrah’s Metropolis: 89.17%
  • Hollywood Casino Aurora: 90.14%
  • Hollywood Casino Joliet: 91.15%
  • Jumer’s Casino & Hotel: 90.18%
  • Par-A-Dice Casino: 91.06%
  • Rivers Casino: 90.47%

Obtain player win percentages from the report by subtracting the entry for Electronic Gaming Device Adjusted Gross Return Percentage (EGD AGR %) from 100%.

In the month of October 2019, the statewide player win percentage was 90.91%. The highest payout return was Harrah’s Joliet at 92.24% while the lowest was Harrah’s Metropolis at 89.17%

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For VLTs, the statewide player win percentage was 91.7%. Detailed monthly reports at Video Gaming Revenue Reports offer the player win percentage at each of the more than 7,000 retail businesses with VLTs. To determine the win percentage for where you play VLTs, divide Amount Won by Amount Played in the VGT Wagering Activity section.

Summary of Illinois Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2019

Illinois slot machine casino gambling consists of ten riverboat casinos and VLT electronic gaming machines at 7,149 local businesses such as bars, restaurants, and other licensed non-casino locations.

Minimum and maximum legal limits for slot machines are 80% and 100%, respectively, over the lifetime of the game. Further, monthly return statistics are publicly available.

Annual Progress in Illinois Slot Machine Casino Gambling

In November 2019, there were 7,149 VLT locations with a total of 33,019 VLTs, a 12.4% increase in locations and a 16.7% increase in terminals from the previous year. Annual income tax revenue from gaming increased by nearly 17%. This tax income increase included a share of $83M for local municipalities which offer video gaming.

Up to six new casinos may come to the Chicago area, including a Hard Rock Casino in the city of Rockford. Submitted casino proposals arrived at the Illinois Gaming Board in October 2019.

Further, in November 2019, the Illinois Gaming Board approved Rivers Casino to no longer be a riverboat casino. Instead, it has become a land-based casino with unlimited slots and table games. Other Illinois riverboat casinos will also become land-based casinos as part of a planned massive gambling expansion.

Archive: Illinois Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2018

Other State-By-State Articles from Professor Slots

  • Previous: Idaho Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2019
  • Next: Indiana Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2019

Have fun, be safe, and make good choices!
By Jon H. Friedl, Jr. Ph.D., President
Jon Friedl, LLC