Stone walls. Hand-lettered signs. Rugged tables and chairs. No windows.

That description doesn’t sound much like a sportsbook in 2019, many of which are outfitted with soft, deep club chairs, state-of-the-art technology, media walls, and plush carpeting. But one of Nevada’s first sportsbooks was located in a casino that was nothing more than a glorified hallway with little light and a doorjamb you had to duck to get through.

And it was in a prison.

Nevada legalized casino gaming in 1931 and the following year, “The Bullpen” was born inside the walls of the now-defunct Nevada State Prison, which for some of that time also housed the state’s death row.