History of Gambling on the Water
August 13th, 2010 | Published in Inrodution
In the past, riverboat gaming was the only place to gamble outside of Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Cruise ships would leave various ports across the United States and begin gaming once they were at least three miles offshore. For those that lived a great distance from either of the two gambling hubs, they enjoyed these trips. This has changed drastically with regulation of riverboat gaming and the addition of Indian-run casinos.
Riverboat gaming has been around since at least the 19th century. Since this time, the industry has been in decline. This is primarily due to the construction of railroads and other advanced forms of transportation as well as the Civil War. Trains were superior to riverboats by speed and reliability. The Civil War interrupted most riverboat transportation and thus the industry.
Toward the end of the 20th century, new methods of revenue were needed. Therefore laws were passed to allow riverboat gaming as a source of revenue for many states. In many cases, the boat is stationed on a body of water and never leaves the dock. States proposed this idea to the voters confirming that gambling is only legal on riverboats in the state. The limitations included a time restriction of only two to three hours and physical controls.
More recently, the time limitation has been lifted because of competing states and Indian tribes. The competition for customers between states also has resulted in a considerable raise in the gambling limits set during the 1980’s and 1990’s.
The first modern riverboat became legal in Iowa in 1989 followed by Illinois shortly after. Next came Missouri, Indiana, Louisiana and Mississippi. States generally allow traditional casino table games to be played. A new twist on riverboat gaming is an overnight or weekend cruise past the three mile marker which consists of gambling, nightlife and dining.
Due to the returning popularity of this type of gaming, on-board casinos are growing large and becoming more elaborate. There are even themed gambling cruises such as, Caesar’s-at-Sea which is similar to Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. There are other companies that offer gambling cruises such as:
- Carnival
- Holland America
- Princess
On-board gaming allows uses to relax, enjoy their cruise and do a little gambling while on board. The dealers are more patient and more willing to help beginners learn new games. Riverboat gambling is exploding in popularity and will see a continued increase in the future.