In Italy, we often hear about bet365 2022 guide, land-based casinos, online casinos and even casinos on cruise ships, but perhaps few people know that there is another widespread category of casinos, namely riverboat casinos.
Unlike the casinos inside cruise ships, these casinos are ‘fixed’, i.e. they are permanently moored to the riverbank.
In our country, this type of casino does not yet exist, but abroad it is very popular, especially in the United States and, above all, along extremely imposing rivers such as the Mississippi or in the most important ports and gulfs in Florida.
The first casinos anchored on rivers or in the harbours of large cities were created to circumvent the laws in force in many American states that prohibited, and in many cases still prohibit, gambling on land.
The so-called ‘riverboat casinos’ are, therefore, a compromise solution adopted by many states to safeguard and protect players from the excessive risk of gambling while at the same time taking into account the interests of large financial groups and holding companies specialised in the entertainment, betting and ‘gambling’ sector.
One of the states moving in this direction is Florida, whose government has always banned gambling and betting on land but, at the same time, allows dozens of ‘casino ships’ to dock in its ports.
Every day, these ships set sail at specific times, travel a few miles and, once they arrive in international waters, drop anchor and start the games.
As one can easily guess, this is a very clear ploy to circumvent the gambling ban.
Many consumer associations have often pointed out the paradox of this situation, calling for greater legislative clarity.
On the other hand, in the aftermath of the terrible Hurricane Katrina that devastated and destroyed entire American cities in 2005, wiping out New Orleans itself, the owners of the numerous boat-casinos anchored along the Mississippi asked the government to allow them to open on land to avoid future devastation.
It must be said that casinos on boats offer the same variety of games and the same level of entertainment as land-based casinos: within the various floating casinos there are bars, restaurants, VIP areas reserved for the most exclusive clientele, rooms dedicated to slot machines and electronic machines and, of course, areas reserved for regular tournaments and championships, especially poker and blackjack.
In many cases, it is also possible to stay directly on the ship or at hotels connected to the casino, thus enjoying a truly complete gaming and entertainment experience.
Among the most famous floating casinos are the ‘Casino Queen‘ located along the banks of the Mississippi in the state of Illinois and the ‘St. Louis Sam’s Town’ on the Red River in Louisiana.