The idea of gambling boats, or casino cruises, sheds light on how the legal environment in Texas has led to strange occurrences in the gambling industry, and how stringent Texas gambling laws have affected gambling enthusiasts. It is very difficult to open a casino on land in Texas. Each gaming device falls into a certain category of license, and the licenses restrict what kind of games a casino can offer. Getting the higher level licenses is essentially impossible. The one surviving casino, Lucky Eagle in Eagle Pass, fought legal battles to ensure that all of its gaming machines fell under the license it holds. However, the laws do not restrict having a casino at sea. A ship full of table games and slot machines can take on passengers in a Texan port, sail out to international waters, allow the passengers to play anything they want, and then return. In international waters, there is no legal authority that regulates gambling. While this would be a great option for Texas residents who enjoy casino gambling, things have not really gone to well with this venue, once again leaving Texas online casinos as the best option for players in the Lone Star State.
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Texas historically required that gambling boats had to land at a foreign port of call on any cruise they made. Eventually, this legal requirement was overturned. Subsequently, several gambling boats attempted to open up the industry in Texas via ports in Galveston, Freeport, and Aransas. However, each of these in turn closed down due to a lack of business, moved to other states along the Gulf Coast, or ran into legal trouble. Texas began to enforce an old law that any ship dedicated to gambling had to either land at a foreign port or sail for more than 24 hours. These additional restrictions made it even tougher for gambling boats to make money.
On the gambling front, over 1,100 slots, 13 poker tables, and 30 classic casino table games ensure that all tastes are catered for. A range of promotions including the $2,500 Slam Dunk Slots. Casino Cruises in Galveston, Texas At one time, gamblers could take day casino cruises in Galveston, Texas, but these types of cruises no longer exist. They have been replaced by longer Caribbean.
Today, no casino cruises survive in Texas. Part of the reason for this is economic- gambling boats are very expensive to run, and they are not much more convenient than a land casino. But Texas was later than other states in allowing gambling boats to operate freely, and then it began to close them down with old laws. One ship did manage to avoid the regulators by demonstrating that casino machines and gambling made up less than half of its onboard space, and that it offered numerous other entertainment options. However, that made it even harder for the boat to turn a profit. It only stayed in Texas for a year before transferring its business to Florida. The combination of the fact that gambling boats are difficult to run profitably with the tough legal environment means that today, casino cruises have disappeared from the ports of Texas.
That is not to say that there will never be another casino cruise in Texas. There is still no law that actually prevents anyone from running one. But the fact that regulators target casino cruises means that business investors are reluctant to try again: the uncertain legal environment is simply too risky. There is little doubt that harassment by regulators played a significant role in the fall of gambling boats and the current lack of any such ships in Texas. No casino cruise has sailed from Texas since the recession of 2008 affected people and businesses, making gambling an expensive hobby.
Texas was the 28th state to join the United States and has earned a reputation for being one of the most business-friendly states in the country.
Yet, to this day, Texas remains the state least likely to legalize online gambling in the US.
Currently, online gambling is illegal in The Lone Star state. Brick and mortar casinos built in the state are also deemed to be illegal.
However, there are still a few ways you can gamble legally in the state:
- Indian Casinos
- Boat Cruise Casinos
- Horse and Dog Tracks
- Lottery/Raffles
Online Casinos in Texas
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like online casinos will ever be legalized in Texas. The government is very opposed to the idea and dismisses any attempts at trying to regulate it.
That being said, there are still options for those who want to play casino games for real money! Texas allows sweepstakes which means you can play slots online and potentially win cash.
You can also participate in legal online poker games through sweepstakes sites or Daily Fantasy Sports leagues. The state tends to move quite slow when it comes to gambling laws, land andonline, so we don't expect much out of Texas.
Land-Based Casinos in Texas
There are two Indian casinos and one casino boat in Texas.
Both Indian casinos offer class II gaming machines based on bingo. Class II video gaming devices in Texas casinos look like slot machines but are actually bingo games and the spinning reels arefor “entertainment purposes only.”
No public information is available concerning the payback percentages on any gaming machines in Texas casinos. Unlike the casinos in Texas, in many states, the slot machine payback statisticsfor that particular state’s casinos are released as a matter of public record. Just click here to seea list of slot machine payback statistics for all U.S. casinos.
If you are looking for Texas casinos near Houston this is your best bet. While Houston has no casinos, Jacks or Better Casino is only about an hour away.
Types of Casinos in Texas
Currently, there are only 2 land-based casinos in operation in the state of Texas. Both of these are owned, operated, and built on Native American territories. There is also one casino cruiseship, and horse tracks which accept parimutuel betting.
Indian Casinos
Under federal law, all Native American territories are considered to be independent and operate under their own jurisdiction.
However, ever since the 'Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act' came into play in 1988, the government of Texas has been trying to change this. A campaign was launched within the court system toshut down all forms of gambling, specific to those on Native American soil within the state.
The state of Texas argues that the 'Federal Restoration Act' of 1987, which officially recognized the Tigua and Alabama - Coushatta tribes, should take legal priority. Why? Because this billexplicitly prohibits gambling.
One of the Indian casinos in Texas, Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino, offers pull-tab machines, bingo, and poker. That casino is the larger of the two casinos in Texas. It has a hotel, fiverestaurants, and a casino with 3,300 gaming machines.
The other casino, Naskila Gaming, does not have a hotel. It has one cafe and more than 800 gaming machines.
Both of these casinos are open 24 hours daily.
Casino Cruise Ship
The casino boat, Jacks or Better Casino, is based in Galveston. The boat sails nine miles out into the Gulf of Mexico where casino gambling is permitted.
The casino boat offers blackjack, craps, roulette, three card poker, a sportsbook, slots, and video poker. You must provide a photo ID or you won’t be allowed to board.
Parimutuel Wagering
Surprisingly, Texas does allow residents to wager at horse and dog tracks in the state.
Horse Tracks
The horse tracks are broken down into Classes:
Class 1 horse tracks:
- Lone Star Park - Grand Prairie
- Retama Park - Selma
- Sam Houston Race Park - Houston
These tracks are allowed to host races as many times as they would like.
Class 2 horse tracks have yet to be built in Texas. Multiple tracks are in the works, and once open, will be permitted to host up to 60 race days a year.
Class 3 horse tracks:
- Gillespie County Fair - Fredericksburg
Currently, this is the only Class 3 horse track that operates in Texas. The Texas Racing Commission allows Class 3 tracks to host up to 16 race days a year.
There are no Class 4 horse tracks in Texas.
Greyhound Tracks
Gambling Boat Galveston Texas
Texas has three greyhound tracks, as permitted by the Texas Racing Commission. Dog racing isn't nearly as popular as horse racing in the state, but still offers residents the chance to watchraces live or virtually. The most popular greyhound track is the Gulf Greyhound Park, located in La Marque.
Texas residents can also visit the following greyhound tracks:
- Valley Race Park - Harlingen
- Gulf Coast Racing - Corpus Christi
List of Land-Based Casinos In Texas
Gambling Boat In Texas
Shown below is a list of all casinos in Texas. Click on a casino name below to see a page of detailed information about all Texas casinos.
Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel
Gambling Boat In Texas
- 794 Lucky Eagle Dr, Eagle Pass, TX 78852
- 1 830-773-2255
- Games: 3,000 slots and 1 poker room
Naskila Gaming
Gambling Boat In Corpus Christi Texas
- 540 State Park Rd 56, Livingston, TX 77351
- 1 936-563-2946
- Games: 800 slots
Galveston Texas Gambling Boat
Texas Land-Based Casinos Map
Gambling Boat Port Aransas Texas
Map
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