The gambling stories that run through the Old Post Office and its city: Trump's Atlantic City casinos, gambling law in Washington, historic hotels turned casino resorts, the lotteries that paid for early Washington, betting on elections and a weekend at National Harbor.
Category Archives
Casinos & Wagers
A DC Weekend: Old Post Office History Walk and a Night at National Harbor
A three-day Washington itinerary: the Old Post Office and Federal Triangle on foot, the monuments and museums, then dinner and a casino night at MGM National Harbor, with Alexandria to finish. Continue reading →
Betting on Elections: From Wall Street Curb Odds to Prediction Markets
Americans have bet on presidential elections since the nineteenth century. How the old Wall Street election pools worked and where election prediction markets stand legally after a 2024 DC court ruling. Continue reading →
The Lotteries That Built Washington, and Its First Post Office
In 1793 a lottery to fund the new federal city offered a hotel as first prize. That building became the home of the Post Office Department. How lotteries paid for early American public works. Continue reading →
Historic Hotels Turned Casino Resorts: From Baden-Baden to the Boardwalk
The Old Post Office became a hotel but never a casino. Other historic buildings went further: Baden-Baden's Kurhaus, Atlantic City's Haddon Hall, West Baden Springs and Deadwood's old hotels. Continue reading →
Washington DC and Gambling: No Casinos, but Lotteries, Sportsbooks and a Harbor
Washington has never licensed a casino, but it has a lottery, legal sports betting since 2020 and MGM National Harbor across the river in Maryland. How gambling in and around DC works. Continue reading →
Trump's Atlantic City Casinos: The Taj Mahal, Plaza and Castle
Before the Old Post Office hotel, Donald Trump's company ran three Atlantic City casinos. The rise of the Plaza, the Castle and the Taj Mahal, the bankruptcies, and what the buildings are now. Continue reading →