Gambling Boat Out Of 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. SIGN UP FOR PROMOTIONS AND UPCOMING EVENTS. About Us; Gaming; Events; Victory Card; Groups; Transportation. Galveston area boaters enjoy the wildlife of Padre Island, the resorts of beautiful South Padre Island, the harbor front Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi, the casinos of Lake Charles, Louisiana, the great tastes and nightlife of New Orleans and beyond. 715 N Holiday Dr, Galveston, Galveston Island, TX. Website +1 844-426-2534. We have been out on the Jacks or Better Casino Boat twice in the last month.

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.

Casino Boat Out Of Galveston Texas

There are no Class 4 horse tracks in Texas.

Greyhound Tracks

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

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

• 794 Lucky Eagle Dr, Eagle Pass, TX 78852
• 1 830-773-2255
• Games: 3,000 slots and 1 poker room

Naskila Gaming

• 540 State Park Rd 56, Livingston, TX 77351
• 1 936-563-2946
• Games: 800 slots

Texas Land-Based Casinos Map

Both families and individuals can find attractive weekend cruise excursions that depart from Galveston. The port of Galveston Texas, on the Gulf of Mexico along the eastern coast of Texas has become a popular spot for vacationers who want to take a cruise into the Gulf waters. For those who want to fit their cruise into a long weekend, various cruise lines provide exciting and comfortable cruises into the Gulf of Mexico.

Carnival Lines

Carnival Lines offers a four-day Thursday-to-Monday cruise that departs from Galveston at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday afternoon and sails to Cozumel Mexico. In Cozumel passengers can spend the day at the famous Palancar Reef, diving to view the marine life of the area or just relaxing on the beach. The town has a colorful marketplace and many open-air cafés where passengers can shop and sample the local cuisine. The cruise ship has spacious and comfortable staterooms above ocean level to enhance the cruise, and each room features its own bath and toilet. Travelers can enjoy the ship’s activities, which include a dance club and a Vegas revue or they can just relax in their staterooms, which have TVs showing first-run films.

Aqua Safari Charters

If you want to cruise the waters of the Gulf of Mexico for a fishing trip, you can charter a boat through Aqua Safari Charters. The trip leaves from Galveston’s Pier 19 and brings passengers into the gulf for deep-sea fishing tuna trips and bay and jetty fishing throughout the year. You can book a weekend cruise on the Scotty Craft for families, friends, guests, clients, organizations and corporate entertainment. The smaller craft can accommodate up to six passengers while the larger craft can accommodate up to 18 passengers. Travelers can book the cruise for a weekend of fishing in Galveston Bay or for a longer trip into the Gulf.

Workingman’s Charter

Individuals planning a weekend sports-fishing expedition can charter a Workingman’s Charter cruiser for a day or overnight of cruising and fishing. The charters, which depart from Galveston, bring clients to deep water bottom fishing spots on Gulf fishing trips. Workingman’s charter caters to experienced and novice fishermen, encourage passengers to explore deep-sea fishing spots in the gulf as well as fish in the Galveston Bay. Passengers can expect to catch speckled trout, redfish, sheephead, drum and Spanish mackerel and kingfish in the gulf and redfish, trout, gafttop, flounder, blackdrum and sheephead in the bay. The cruiser’s staff will assist fishing novices. You can book an overnight weekend trip or just go out for a daytime fishing excursion with Workingman's Charter.

Activities in Galveston

Galveston Island has a long and rich history, both before Western settlement and as an important American port once western settlers began to plant roots in the area. If you want to spend some time exploring the city and island of Galveston, you can visit the Schlitterbahn Water Park, the tropical Moody Gardens, the Galveston Railroad Museum, the Lone Star Flight Museum, the Seawolf Park or Texas's oldest English library, the Rosenberg Library. Many people also enjoy visiting Galveston's historic homes and buildings. If you don't want to cruise into Galveston Bay or into the Gulf, you can enjoy a free ferry ride on the Galveston Island Ferry.

About the Author

Laurie Rappeport is a writer and blogger with more than 10 years of experience. Her areas of expertise are in education, child development, travel, pets, nutrition and health for Demand Studios and a major travel website. Rappeport holds a Master of Arts degree from Wayne State University.

Gambling Boat Galveston Texas

Photo Credits

• holiday cruise boats image by redslice from Fotolia.com