CenTex GuyTexas casino flop
June 5th 2008 06:44
I took a little vacation this week. Not far, just to Texarkana to visit some old friends. But along the way I stopped off in Louisiana and on the return home stopped off in Oklahoma. The initial reason to go to Louisiana was to meet up with some friends and catch an Arena Football League 2 game. The friends never showed and they missed a heck of a game.
But the main thing I did in both Louisiana (Shreveport) and Oklahoma was visit casinos. See, Texas doesn't have any so I take advantage when I’m close to one.
Well actually, Texas has two sort of. One is Texas Treasure cruise casino out of Port Aransas that you have to travel into international waters before the gambling starts. On your way out to the water you do get to enjoy dinner, which is included in the cost of your admission ticket. It's a fun cruise and I highly recommended.
The other is Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass which mainly features video machines and poker. I’ve never been, due to it being in Eagle Pass, so I can’t recommend it.
I can't help but wonder why Texas has refused to get casinos. And the state doesn't just refuse, but has tried to shut down Kickapoo, has been successful at shutting down other Indian casinos, and works diligently to crack down on illegal gaming operations.
Yet, as I sat at my $4-8 limit Texas Hold ’em table in Shreveport thinking how odd it is I can’t play a game named after Texas in Texas, I was sandwiched between a couple from Dallas and a happy-go-lucky gambler from Austin. Across the table were a father-son pair also from the Dallas area.
Then in Oklahoma... I noticed they came from Dallas, Fort Worth, Central Texas. Yeah, there were locals playing -- Shreveport residents and Oklahoma residents -- but Texans ruled.
And the casinos know who is in the casinos. They play it up. Up and down the Texas highways to both destinations are plenty of casino signs, many of which are trying to fight for your business from the other state. "Twice the fun, half the distance" touts one sign to an Oklahoma casino...making a jab at how much closer Dallas is to Oklahoma instead of Shreveport. Another "Want to play craps in Oklahoma? No dice" Noting how the Oklahoma casinos allow card and video games, but no roulette or Craps.
The ads work. Heck many of the dealers are from Texas too. You gotta wonder just how much money Texas is losing in this fight to keep casinos out. Shreveport-Bossier City has five casinos, and the economy and retail development there has been simply amazing. It used to be a crime-filled town, but now a revitalization effort has made the area an attractive destination. In Oklahoma, the casino closest to Dallas (Winstar) is in the midst of a huge expansion to truly become an awesome resort facility.
We have a lottery on place that the state has tried to change several times to make it more attractive. Now we have mega millions. Meanwhile, as the state even now considers selling the lottery to a private firm, buses come to town, pick up passengers for next to nothing and happily bus them up to 5 hours just to play in a casino.
The simple fact is, Texans are already going, Texas would be wise to get in on the action.
But the main thing I did in both Louisiana (Shreveport) and Oklahoma was visit casinos. See, Texas doesn't have any so I take advantage when I’m close to one.
Well actually, Texas has two sort of. One is Texas Treasure cruise casino out of Port Aransas that you have to travel into international waters before the gambling starts. On your way out to the water you do get to enjoy dinner, which is included in the cost of your admission ticket. It's a fun cruise and I highly recommended.
I can't help but wonder why Texas has refused to get casinos. And the state doesn't just refuse, but has tried to shut down Kickapoo, has been successful at shutting down other Indian casinos, and works diligently to crack down on illegal gaming operations.
Yet, as I sat at my $4-8 limit Texas Hold ’em table in Shreveport thinking how odd it is I can’t play a game named after Texas in Texas, I was sandwiched between a couple from Dallas and a happy-go-lucky gambler from Austin. Across the table were a father-son pair also from the Dallas area.
Then in Oklahoma... I noticed they came from Dallas, Fort Worth, Central Texas. Yeah, there were locals playing -- Shreveport residents and Oklahoma residents -- but Texans ruled.
The ads work. Heck many of the dealers are from Texas too. You gotta wonder just how much money Texas is losing in this fight to keep casinos out. Shreveport-Bossier City has five casinos, and the economy and retail development there has been simply amazing. It used to be a crime-filled town, but now a revitalization effort has made the area an attractive destination. In Oklahoma, the casino closest to Dallas (Winstar) is in the midst of a huge expansion to truly become an awesome resort facility.
We have a lottery on place that the state has tried to change several times to make it more attractive. Now we have mega millions. Meanwhile, as the state even now considers selling the lottery to a private firm, buses come to town, pick up passengers for next to nothing and happily bus them up to 5 hours just to play in a casino.
The simple fact is, Texans are already going, Texas would be wise to get in on the action.
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