Gambling Boats In Texas Galveston

GALVESTON, Texas- Have you heard? You can now gamble in Galveston, kind of. A cruise ship, called Jacks or Better Casino, just arrived at the Galveston Yacht Basin this month. Once the ship is 9.1. 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 are for “entertainment purposes only.”.

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.

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.

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.

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 cruises on ocean liners that have casinos for travelers as well as other amenities. Cruising from Galveston is a more economical option when compared to cruises available from many other ports in the United States. Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines offer several options for cruises featuring gambling opportunities.

Carnival Ecstasy

The Crystal Palace Casino aboard the Carnival Ecstasy offers a full range of gambling options including card games, craps, blackjack, roulette, slots and more. Carnival offers a variety of cruise lengths from three to five days on the Ecstasy in the western Caribbean. Ports along the route include Cozumel, Mexico and Progreso, Yucatan, Mexico. In addition to gambling while at sea, cruisers also enjoy a wireless Internet café, a swimming pool, a water park, an adults-only outdoor area, lounges, nightclubs and duty-free shops. Dining options include choices between several formal and casual restaurants. The ship also offers a kids program called Camp Carnival where kids ages two to 11 have their own space with a variety of fun activities. Poker freerolls reddit.

Carnival Conquest

The Carnival Conquest leaves from Galveston for seven-day western Caribbean cruises. Destinations on this trip include Montego Bay, Jamaica; Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, and Cozumel, Mexico. The Conquest casino features the same games you would find at any Las Vegas casino. All Carnival cruise ship casinos offer the Carnival Players Club in which your free membership gives you access to special casino promotions and tournaments. While on board the Conquest, guests can take a chance on MegaCash, the world’s largest cruise ship jackpot. The Conquest also features several dining options, pools, a spa and activities for children.

Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Sea

Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Sea offers both seven and 14-night cruises from Galveston. Depending on the dates of the trip, the seven-night Western Caribbean cruise includes stops in Roatan, Honduras; Costa Maya, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; Falmouth, Jamaica; Belize City, Belize, and Cozumel, Mexico. The 14-night cruises are transatlantic trips with stops in Nassau, Bahamas; Ponta Deglada, Azores; Malaga, Spain; Cartagena, Spain; Funchal, Portugal; Santa Cruz, Canary Islands; and Barcelona, Spain. The Casino Royale on all Voyager class ships in the Royal Caribbean line features card tables, roulette wheels, slot machines and more. In addition to gambling, the Voyager of the Sea offers several specialty restaurants, onboard ice-skating, pubs and lounges, a youth and teen program and more.

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About the Author

Jeff Jones has been a writer since 1995 after a career in corporate marketing. His writing covers a range of business topics including marketing, corporate culture and human resources. More recently, he has written on topics of spirituality and life in the church. He has a degree in journalism/marketing from Texas A&M University and a master's in Christian education from Perkins School of Theology.

Gambling Boats In Texas Galveston

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