Part V: Regional & Cultural · Casino Slang & Historical Terms

7.12 Meyer Lansky

Historical — Mob Era Figure

Meyer Lansky (1902-1983) was a Polish-American organized crime figure known as the “Mob’s Accountant” who was instrumental in developing the casino gambling operations that became the foundation of Las Vegas and influenced casino development in Cuba and other locations. Lansky was the financial genius behind many mob casino operations, developing the business models and financial structures that made organized crime’s casino investments profitable. He was Bugsy Siegel’s partner and the primary architect of the Flamingo’s financing.

In practice

Despite his central role in organized crime, Lansky was never convicted of a major crime and died a free man in Miami Beach. His Cuban casino experience (under Fulgencio Batista) directly informed the Las Vegas operations he helped establish.

One entry from the Casino Industry Glossary — 1,157 terms written for surveillance, compliance and operations professionals rather than for players. Definitions describe industry usage; where a term carries a regulatory meaning, verify against the instrument that governs your jurisdiction.