Overview of Caribbean Casinos

The first legalized casino in the Caribbean occurred in 1920, and was located in the Bahamas.

At first, this casino was seasonal and patronized by northern Americans. The gaming regulations did not officially occur until 1969.

In 1948, hotel casinos officially started in Puerto Rico, and slots were not introduced until 1974. The casino industry for both of these countries were primarily for rich tourists. Perhaps it is important to look closely at the casino industry in the Bahamas since it may be considered the 'grandfather' of the casino industry in the Caribbean.

It also important to note that Bahamian residents are prohibited from gambling in the casinos. From an economic perspective, this policy has been beneficial to the country because all of the proceeds from the casinos represent a true injection of funds into the economy.

Another noteworthy regulation in the Bahamas is the room requirement.

The Bahamas has a room policy which requires all hotels wishing to obtain a casino license must have a minimum of five hundred hotel rooms.

This policy was also adapted by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission when legislation was made for gambling in New Jersey. Unfortunately, this policy was not adapted by other Caribbean countries who have introduced casinos during the past two decades.

With the introduction of new slot machines also came the introduction of new games. Many of the Caribbean casinos are now playing video keno, blackjack, and Caribbean Stud Poker.

The introduction of these games can be a useful advertising strategy.

The game splayed within a casino attracts a specific clientèle. Presently, the following games are played within several Caribbean casinos--- roulette, craps, baccarat, video poker, blackjack, big six, and slots.

Casinos in the Caribbean are constantly competing for big name entertainment. Their biggest challenge is how to attract big name headliners to their properties. Headliners are expensive; large number of people are needed to help defray the cost bringing them to a Caribbean destination.

If it is possible to attract them to your property, you must then compete with the sand, sea, and sun, as well as the gambling activities on the floor.

Conversely, many gamblers will only visit a site if there's an exciting entertainment. It may be a catch twenty-two situation.

The tournaments held in the Caribbean are not as large as those held in the United States.

Tournaments held on the mainland can be easily accessed by the players. To overcome this hurdle, Caribbean tournaments are usually held during the winter months when many players would be attracted to a warm vacation.

These tournaments usually have a package that would include two or three days within a casino resort.