Four years later, just three of the 16 operations comprising Missouri’s riverboat gambling industry, already worth more than $600 million, were clearly on the main river channel according to the state’s gambling watchdog, the Gaming Commission.

In 1994, Missouri changed its state constitution to authorize “games of chance” on the two rivers running through the state: the Mississippi and the Missouri. Considering that the river was in Maryland, people could park in Virginia and walk across a pier, thereby crossing the border between the states. At this time, gambling was not legal in Virginia, but it was legal in parts of Maryland. Due to this, there were several riverboat casinos docked off of the Virginia shoreline in the middle of the 20 th century. In fact, the whole river is practically in Maryland with the exception of a few small areas in the District of Columbia. The border is at the low water mark on the Virginia side, not in the middle of the river. There are three ‘riverboat’ casinos in harbors along Lake Michigan in Indiana.Ī situation on the border between Virginia and Maryland led to an unusual event on the Potomac River around 1950.

In Illinois, they were also allowed in the Chicago metropolitan area, which is connected to the Mississippi River via the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Riverboat casinos were allowed in states like Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri. In some areas, gambling was legal only when the boat was not docked, as in the traditional trips. When states approved riverboat casinos in the late 20 th century, and land-based gaming was generally prohibited, these casinos had to be located on ships. There were card games, slot machines, and more. On riverboats, gambling was far from uncommon They were also a way to enjoy live music and dancing and find a cool place to relax, away from the scorching urban heat. After they were largely displaced by railroads, they became more popular for short trips, up to a few hours long, than as transport from one riverfront town to another.

Riverboats with paddlewheels had long been used on the Mississippi and its tributaries to transport cargo and people. The riverboats were rarely moved away from the port, if ever. A few states allowed this type of casino to limit the areas where casinos could be built without outlawing gambling. There are also some along the Gulf Coast. These exist in several US states, through which the Mississippi River flows. A riverboat casino is exactly what it sounds like: a casino on a riverboat.

Chicago riverboat casino