Cruises used to be one of the few places you can find casino games in the United States outside of Las Vegas or Atlantic City. A cruise ship would leave port and the casino would open as soon as the ship was three miles offshore in international waters. (The three-mile limit was established in the last century as the United States limit because it was the maximum distance that guns on the ground could fire.) Casino gambling was a great activity on board, especially for those who lived far from Las Vegas or Atlantic City.
That idea has certainly changed in the United States with the emergence of river gambling casinos operated by the state and run by Native American tribes.
River boat game history
Riverboat gambling is not a completely new phenomenon. Many fans of American history recall the player-related romance of 19th century riverboats. It was not a change in public morale that caused the riverboat to disappear. The emergence of the railways as a better means of transportation and the outbreak of the Civil War were the precipitating factors. Trains were more reliable and faster than river boats. The War Between the States interrupted virtually all river travel and gambling in that area abruptly decreased.
Today’s casinos
In the last decades of the 20th century, states sought new sources of revenue that were attractive to voters. Many states began allowing riverboats to offer casino games. Many of these ships are truly stationary barges that never leave the dock. They are permanently moored in a river, lake, or ocean. The states sold the casino game to their voters by limiting the game to river boats. The reason for this was not only the physical restrictions but also the time limitation. Players with a set time of two or three hours may not lose as much as if the time had no restrictions.
At first, these riverboats would “sail” downriver or around a lake or bay. As time goes by, more and more of them never leave the dock. In addition, due to competition between neighboring states, many river cruises no longer limit the time per “game excursion.” This competition has also caused many states to significantly increase the gambling limits that were established when riverboat gambling halls were first established in the 1980s and 1990s.
Laws and subsidies
Native American tribes have also jumped on the casino bandwagon. They are allowed to establish gambling casinos due to their sovereign nation status. Native American tribes existed as sovereign governments long before European settlers first arrived in North America. Tribal nations signed treaties with European nations and later with the United States in exchange for land. These treaties guaranteed tribes continued recognition and treatment as sovereigns.
Modern riverboat casinos were first legalized in 1989 in Iowa, then Illinois, closely followed by Missouri, Indiana, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The type of gambling allowed at river casinos varies by jurisdiction. In general, states allow you to play traditional casino games like blackjack, roulette, and slots. In addition to river and tribal casinos, some states have begun allowing “cruises to nowhere” that take passengers beyond the three-mile limit for overnight or weekend gambling cruises.
As a result of these new gambling opportunities, casino games, including Native American games, are legal in more than half of the United States, and most casinos have been built in the last 10 years.
Cruise and Gambling
What does all of this mean for the cruise enthusiast? Fortunately for those who like to gamble, cruise lines continue to build larger and more elaborate onboard casinos. Many passengers consider them an essential feature of the cruise experience, and ships ranging from luxury to mainstream have casinos.
One of the best parts about gambling at sea is that the cruise ship dealers and other casino workers are more patient and willing to help a beginner learn the games than in Las Vegas. Most cruise ship passengers are on vacation to enjoy the cruise, and gambling is only a small part of their journey. Therefore, the casino is competing with other activities on board. At one point, a cruise ship could be the first game show for many passengers. With the advent of the riverboat tribe and Native American casinos, this is no longer necessarily true.
