Harold's Club, Former casino in Downtown Reno, Nevada.
Harold's Club was a casino in downtown Reno with elaborate Wild West decor, including covered-wagon-motif carpets and a 70-foot mural depicting frontier scenes. The building held multiple floors with hundreds of slot machines and gaming tables.
The casino was founded in 1935 by Harold Smith Sr. and his brother Raymond with minimal capital and just a handful of games. The business grew rapidly to become one of Reno's major casinos.
The casino employed women in roles traditionally held by men, setting an early example for gender equality in the gambling industry. This choice made the place a pioneer in employment practices of the postwar era.
The location is accessible in downtown Reno and the layout makes it straightforward to move through the different levels. Visitors should expect to navigate a historic space, so planning time to explore the various floors is helpful.
The casino was known for a massive advertising campaign with over two thousand billboards nationwide that spread a message which became a cultural phenomenon. This aggressive marketing strategy made the casino's name a household concept in the middle of the 20th century.
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