Do Casino Boats Have A Place In The Industry?

11.6.2007 | 8:29 pm | casinos

As the traditional casino industry continues to go from strength to strength we are seeing an increasing number of casino boats emerging from the midst.  These vessels offer a very different approach to gambling, and also can be very controversial because of concerns about their legality and who actual receives taxes, distributes gambling licences, etc.

The idea of casino boats is not new, as they have been around for some time, but they are starting to become more popular now there is more and more money at stake.  Like the floating night clubs which have appeared in places such as the UK and the US, they are proving very difficult to administer and control, using all of the loopholes in the various regulations set-up to catch them out!

While we call them casino boats, they often offer a lot more than just casinos, and can be very luxuries.  They tend to flout the laws of the land by regularly sailing between various destinations around the world, docking for as long as is legally possible and then moving on again.  International waters have also proved a very popular spot for these casino boats to drop anchor, with the old laws of the sea deeming them effectively untouchable.

At some stage the authorities will catch up the new fleet of casino boats, but at the moment their popularity is growing in some quarters, and they seem to be benefitting from the feel good factor in offline casino gambling.  As and when the authorities do manage to change the laws governing their use, it will be interesting to see the ensuing court cases which will be no doubt fought to the last. 

While a few hands of Poker on a casino boat may not be to everyone’s taste, they are an interesting alternative to a weekend in the countryside!