U.S. Casino Directory - Florida

The History of Gambling - Casinos in Florida

Gambling in Florida: A History Lesson

Florida does not have legalized casino gambling. It does, however, have a thriving day-cruise industry which offers gamblers the opportunity to board ships that cruise offshore where casino gambling is legal. From the east coast the boats sail three miles out into the Atlantic Ocean and from the west coast the boats travel nine miles out into the Gulf of Mexico.

There are a variety of boats in operation ranging from St. Petersburg’s 2,000-passenger Ocean Jewel cruise ship all the way down to the yacht-sized SunCruz I casino boat in Key Largo which carries 149 passengers.

Generally, you will find that the larger ships have more of a variety of things to do besides the gambling, but the cost will be a little higher because of added port/service charges. Most of the ships that sail from the major ports, such as Port Everglades and the Port of Palm Beach, will add port/service charges to the quoted cruise price. Usually, there is also a charge to park your car at those locations. Since late 1994 many smaller ships have begun operations and because they don’t dock at the large ports they usually don’t have port/service charges added to their cruise prices. Also, most of them offer free parking. You will find that almost all of the ships (especially in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area) are constantly running price specials so don’t be surprised if you call and are quoted a price lower than the regular brochure rates listed here.

The nearest Caribbean casinos are in the Bahamas with two on Grand Bahama Island: The Royal Oasis Casino Resort (800) 432-2294 and Our Lucaya (877) OUR-LUCAYA.

The other two casinos are in the Bahamian capital of Nassau which is on New Providence Island: Crystal Palace Casino (800) 222-7466 and Atlantis, Paradise Island (800) 321-3000. Technically, Atlantis is on Paradise Island and not in Nassau because you have to cross a bridge in downtown Nassau to get to the property.

There is daily scheduled jet service on several airlines to the Nassau and Freeport airports from both Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Nassau is 150 miles from Miami and the flying time is approximately 45 minutes. Freeport is 90 miles away and the flying time is 30 minutes.

Unless otherwise noted, all Florida casino boats offer: blackjack, craps, roulette, slots and video poker. Some casinos also offer: mini-baccarat (MB), poker (P), pai gow poker (PGP), three-card poker (TCP), Caribbean stud poker (CSP), let it ride (LIR), big 6 wheel (B6) and bingo (BG).

Each boat sets its own minimum gambling age: on some boats it’s 21 and on others it’s 18. The minimum drinking age on all boats is 21. Due to security restrictions, you must present a photo ID at all casino boats or you will not be allowed to board.

For Florida visitor information call (888) 735-2872 or visit their web site at: www.flusa.com. For information on the Florida Keys or Key West call (800) 352-5397.

Florida also has seven Indian gaming locations. The Seminole Tribe has six and the seventh is on the Miccosukee Tribe’s reservation.

There is no state-tribal compact in effect in Florida and the only games offered are Class II games where players compete against each other, rather than against the casino. The games allowed are: high-stakes bingo, video pull tabs and low-limit poker games (maximum $2 bet, 3 raises per round, no limit to number of rounds). Low-limit poker can also be found in many of the state’s pari-mutuel facilities (horse tracks, dog tracks, jai-alai frontons and one harness track).

All Indian casinos also offer some Class II video gaming devices that look like slot machines, but are actually bingo games and the spinning reels are for “entertainment purposes only.” No public information is available concerning the payback percentages on gaming devices in Florida's Indian casinos. All casinos are open 24 hours (except Brighton) and the minimum gambling age is 18

Las Vegas Vacation Travel Packages and the Best Deals