She was not a gambler, but contributed to the Nevada gambling world in general and female gamblers in particular so much, that it led her to become the first woman-inductee into the Gaming Hall of Fame back in 1992, right in the year she made close friends with then first-elected U.S. President Bill Clinton and his family.
Her way to success wasn’t long. Born in Mansfield in 1921, she bought her first casino in Texas before she was 21. This building – a Houston steakhouse, which she turned into a casino – was purchased with the loaned money. Years later she began to give her own money for philanthropic aims. This trend is common in the casino ladies circles, for example, famous female poker gamblers are known to organize the charitable organization – Poker Gives.
Married to Shelby Williams, Claudine and her husband moved to Las Vegas, where their friend Benny Binion had already found his Binion’s Horseshoe Casino (by the way, nowadays this casino hosts the WSOP championship for female casinos as well). They founded the Holiday Casino (later Harrah’s casino and hotel) together just in the heart of Las Vegas. After Shelby’s health had steadily declined and led to his death in 1977, Claudine became the first woman to be appointed as the president and general manager of a big Las Vegas casino. But she didn’t stop advancing her positions – she served as the chair of the American Bank of Commerce in Nevada and also as the only women of all casino ladies to be the president of the Nevada Chamber of Commerce.
This woman is a great example for all female gamblers who suffer from the misunderstanding on the men’s part. Her life was incredible: Claudine Williams was a successful business woman, a mother and even a stepmother, a friend and a loyal wife. She contributed to the development of female casinos, as she encouraged women with her image. She died in 2009 of an illness aged 88.
Oct 5, 2011
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