The state government does not recognize the apparent contradiction in operating a lottery, which is a form of gambling, while prohibiting other forms of gambling. From the fact that a lottery exists and is run by the state government, it is clear that the state only approves of gambling when it is gambling that benefits the state. If it is gamblers who are playing in casinos, and the state does not get to take a large chunk of the revenue, the state is not interested,. From that point of view, the state can be seen as using its power to shut down all competition to the lottery. The state would like as much gambling as possible to take place, just on its own terms.

In a confusing twist, the state’s relationship with pari-mutuel wagering complicates this picture. Originally, it was a legal way to gamble. In the late 1930s, the state government outlawed pari-mutuel betting and shut down all race tracks. For years afterwards, numerous ballot initiatives came up that tried to reinstate pari-mutuel wagering in the state. After a long campaign, the state re-legalized racetrack betting in 1987. One explanation is that the state government could not ignore the fact that a majority of the people clearly wanted pari mu tu el betting to return to Texas. Considering that significantly less than half of the population of Texas actually bets at races, it is clear that the Lone Star State’s residents are inclined to live and let live with respect to gambling.

The Texas government was forced to accommodate their will. However, the fact that the state attorney general has pursued and shut down multiple casinos means that government officials still oppose gambling at a basic level. The hypocrisy therefore stands revealed as self interest- it is in the interest of the state government to be the only game in town when it comes to gambling, so that they can be the sole outlet for gambling impulses and the sole beneficiary of the money Texans spend on gambling. It sounds cynical, but it is hard to find a different explanation for why the state government and legislation act so selectively with regard to the legal status of gambling. It is this hypocrisy that leaves Texas residents without any other options other than enjoying legally licensed Texas legal online casino gambling.

The post The Hypocrisy Surrounding State Licensed Gambling in Texas first appeared on Texas Casinos Online.

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.

The post Gambling Boats in Texas – Why These Businesses Can’t Stay Afloat first appeared on Texas Casinos Online.

For example, casino cruises, which involve a trip to international waters to gamble, used to operate out of Texas frequently, but all of the cruise lines that used to operate casino cruises in Texas have either closed down or moved to different states, leaving the state without any type of Texas gambling boat options. Two different Indian tribes attempted to take advantage of their special status and open casinos in Texas, but both ran afoul of the state prosecutor and the government closed them down. Part of the appeal of online casinos is that they are legal and easy to access. After such a long time without good casino options to enjoy, Texas gamblers finally have an alternative that isn’t part of a shady gray market. Of course, it is essential to do some research before signing up for an online casino, but that would be true for any new hobby.

Many online casinos have been online for decades. Their stability and reliability presents an appealing solution to the turbulent legal environment of Texas gaming laws. Consider, for example, the rise, fall, resurgence, and second collapse of greyhound and horse racing in Texas. For decades, the legality of race tracks fluctuated. By the time the state began to issue licenses in an organized way, the popularity, and therefore the market, for betting on races was much lower than it had been in the past. This was simply due to the fact that it had been illegal for so long. Similarly, any new brick and mortar casino that manages to clear the legal hurdles in Texas would quickly find that demand is much lower than expected. This is also partially due to the competition that online gambling sites provide by filling the void left by the state’s approach to this industry.

Considering the circumstances, the existence of an online option for casino gambling is a boon to Texas players It is the only feasible and legal alternative to the physical casino experience in Texas. This is no fault of the gaming public- it was the tight regulation of casinos that created this situation in the first place. The fact that online casinos are stepping in to fill the gap is just the natural progression of market forces. The wide proliferation of online Texas casinos gives gamblers plenty of options to choose from, as long as they vet their choices first using trustworthy sources. .

The post Do Online Casinos Fill the ‘Casino Gambling Void’ in Texas? first appeared on Texas Casinos Online.

The Tigua Indian tribe attempted to expand to table games like poker and blackjack. They argued that the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act granted them the ability to apply for a class 3 license. However, the state of Texas refused to consider it. The Tigua had already begun adding table games to the Speaking Rock Casino. The state government sued to shut the casino down, claiming that when the state officially recognized the Tigua and Alabama-Coushatta tribes, it forbade them from operating casinos. The courts decided that the state’s argument was stronger than the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, and the Speaking Rock Casino closed by court order. The Alabama-Coushatta Indian tribe attempted to open a similar casino while the Tigua were in court. After the Tigua lost and had to close Speaking Rock, the Alabama-Coushatta casino followed shortly after.

The Kickapoo Indians gained state recognition under a different law than the Alabama-Coushatta and Tigua, and the law governing their rights did not forbid gambling. Still, the Kickapoo had to fight a legal battle to get slot machine equivalents allowed in their casino. It is clear that opening a casino is no guarantee that a tribe will escape legal troubles. All it takes is an attorney general and governor who want to shut casinos down, and the rest is history. Indian casinos are not banned in Texas- they are just a legal gray area, which is far worse. Two out of the three Indian tribes spent a lot of time and money on trying to run casinos, only to have them shut down in a court case. You can learn more about the single brick and mortar casino in the state from our page covering brick and mortar casinos located in Texas.

The third tribe filed a preemptive court case to protect themselves from being shut down. This uncertainty and inconsistency has a chilling effect on future casinos, whether their perspective owners are Indian tribes or otherwise. There is no good way to know in advance if a casino will run into legal trouble- and that is bad for business. Not only have the state of Texas’s actions shut down two Indian casinos, they have also made it less likely for any more casinos to open up in the future. That leaves the Lucky Eagle as the only casino in the entire state- now and for the foreseeable future.

The post The Plight of Indian Tribal Casino Gambling in Texas first appeared on Texas Casinos Online.

There are several factors at play. First of all, the United States in general is wary of online gambling- few states have out-and-out legal online casino ownership permitted explicitly by state law. High-profile legal cases have led to bans, and then reversals, on online poker and similar attractions. The basic position of much of the country concerning online gambling is unfriendly. Of course, many Americans and Texans still gamble online, and it is not illegal to do so. Yet the opposition means that officially sanctioned online casinos run from within the United States are still not available in most of the USA. .

On top of that, Texas specifically has a hostile legal environment for all kinds of gambling. With the way it suppressed racetrack betting and has used legal action to close down casinos, it is clear that whatever the opinion of the Texan public, the Texas state government is not welcoming towards gambling. Thus, state based online casinos in Texas face an uphill battle in terms of both federal and state law. You can learn more about the state’s laws for this type of entertainment from our page covering Texas gambling laws. Nothing stops Texans from playing online casinos that are hosted and operated by owners outside the United States, but, at least for now, there is no local option. Not even an established casino can create an online version of the games it runs in its physical location in order to offer Texas online slots, blackjack or roulette.

Texas stands to gain a significant amount of tax revenue from regulating online casinos. They don’t have the setup costs of land casinos and regulators don’t need to make decisions about where to locate them in the community. Furthermore, the fact that there are so many online casinos means that when the state government levies a tax on them, they can collect a large amount of revenue even if the tax rate is relatively low. The potential benefits to the state are so significant and yet hosting an online casino is still illegal. That is a sign of just how strong the opposition to online gambling is among the Texas political establishment.

From the fact that the history of gambling in Texas has been a story of repeated outlawing of categories of gambling, along with occasional, grudging licensing, it is easy to conclude that the odds of a local online casino opening up in Texas are slim. It is simply too unfriendly a state to make that an option, in a country which is generally not hospitable to online gambling in the first place. Do not expect to see online casinos getting Texas state licenses in the foreseeable future. The odds are simply stacked against them.

The post A Look at the Casino Gambling Debate in Texas first appeared on Texas Casinos Online.