Riverboat Casinos and Casino Cruises-Then and Now
April 9th, 2011Long before the online gambling revolution and even before the boost of tribal casinos
a casino cruise was the only legal way to gamble in the US besides Las Vegas and Atlantic City casinos. Nowadays
gambling on a riverboat casino is only one of the many options that the recreational gambler faces when he feels like shooting dice.
The history of casino cruises and riverboat casinos in the United States goes back to the beginning of the 19th century when the Mississippi River was a major trade center for farmers and merchants. The river towns became major attraction for professional gamblers
also known as cardsharps
who were hunting the travelers who used to carry large amounts of cash with them.
When five cardsharps were lynched in Mississippi in 1835
the professional gamblers drove away from the south. The fashion of riverboat gambling remained as an informal routine between travelers. The two decades before the Civil War saw the pick of luxurious riverboat casino gambling.
The public image of the average riverboat gambler has changed a lot in the last century. If during the 19th century riverboat gambling was part of the frontier lifestyle
nowadays
a casino cruise is something you would buy for your grandparents anniversary.
The first State to legalize casino riverboats was Iowa in 1989. Now
riverboat casinos are legalized in Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Louisiana
Massachusetts
Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
South Carolina and Texas. In some states
the casino riverboats actually sail along the sea
while others are anchored permanently and never leave the dock. The second type of riverboat casinos enable recreational gamblers to simply hop on a nearby casino and play their favorite casino game for a few hours.
The types of casino games available in riverboat casinos vary from one state to another. You can usually play slot machines and classic table games such as blackjack
roulette
craps
baccarat
etc. Some of the riverboat casinos also have poker rooms where passengers can play Texas Holdem against each other. Most of the casino cruises are family oriented and offer other activities besides gambling such as live entertainment for children.
If you are planning to take part in a casino cruise
you do not have to worry about cardsharps or a tough competition around the poker table. Most of the people who join a casino cruise are recreational gamblers who appreciate a good game of craps in between fine dining and sun tanning on the dock. In addition
you would enjoy a much nicer and patient service from the casino dealers and employees than in an average Las Vegas casino.
If spending a weekend on a riverboat casino is too much for you
you can try some of Florida daily casino cruises. If you take Sterling Casino Lines cruise
for example
you can leave at 11 am and be back by 18 pm. Sterling Casino Lines cruises take place on a 75
000 square feet gambling area with more than 1
000 slot machines and 50 table games.
Sterling Casino Line cruise is only one example from numerous options available around the states for those of you who want to gamble at the country rivers
lakes and seas. The variety of casino cruises and dockside riverboat casinos includes the most luxurious Las Vegas styles casinos and simpler alternatives. If you enjoy gambling just for fun and you tend to get sea sick
joining a casino cruise can be an enjoyable distraction for one day or for a whole weekend.
Several Casino Bonuses Available For Playing Casino Games
September 17th, 2009Many online casinos today offer multiple casino bonuses to attract more casino enthusiasts in their site. Aside from signup casino bonuses, online casinos or Internet casinos also offer comp points, cashable bonuses, sticky bonuses, and cash back bonuses. As we all know, signup casino bonuses are offered to new players after their first deposit. These casino bonuses are typically equivalent to a percentage of a players deposit. For example, in a 50% welcome bonus, the player will receive a $50 worth of bonus after making a $100 deposit.
Cashable casino bonuses are the most common type of casino bonuses.After the completion of the wagering requirement, cashable bonuses can be withdrawn. Using the example above, the player can still withdraw the $50 bonus after reaching the wagering requirement. However, cashable bonuses are restricted on some casino games. Typically, bets placed on baccarats, craps, roulettes and Sic Bo do not count for wagering requirements. Often, casino gameswith low house edge, like video pokers and blackjacks are also considered as restricted casino games.
Sticky casino bonuses are non-cashable bonuses. These bonuses can be waged but cannot be withdrawn. Usually, sticky casino bonuses are removed from the total withdrawal amount every time a player cashes out. Though sticky bonuses cannot be withdrawn, they are still very beneficial. This is because sticky bonuses can or may double the players gain. For instance, a player deposited $100 and receives $100 worth of bonus. If he earns 50% of his gamble, he has now a total cash of $300. So, he doubles his gain with another $100.
Sometimes, sticky casino bonuses are called phantom bonuses because the bonuses are removed after wagering. Generally, sticky bonuses require the player to exceed his original balance before allowing cash out, but there are other forms of sticky bonuses without this restriction. In some forms, players can immediately cash out any winnings.
On the other hand, cash back bonuses are rewarded after a player loss. Normally, in cash back bonus, a fraction of the players loss is restored, often as cash. Some online casino games offer 20% cash back casino bonuses every week. In this case, players would receive 20% of their loss within the week. However cash back bonuses are rare. Also, players who have a win throughout the week cannot receive a bonus.
Finally, online casinos also reward their players with comp points. Comp points are normally available at land-based casinos. Now, comp points are also given in online casino games. These points are extraordinary points that can be exchanged for credits, prizes or another comp points. Some online casinos might give three comp points for wagering $10 on slots and some might give one comp points for wagering $10 on blackjacks. And for every 100 comp points, the casino might give $1 in exchange.
All casino bonuses are given as incentives. This is to motivate more players to play the casino games and thereby keeping more players in the site. Though bonuses have different features, they all still need to be wagered.

