Puerto Rico is one of the safest Caribbean territories. The country is blessed with an enormous number of waterfalls and mountains. Additionally, Puerto Rico is widely toured for the El Yunque tropical rainforest, beach bars, hotel strip, and — most importantly — casinos. Let’s take a dive into the pool of Puerto Rican casinos and her gambling industry.
San Juan Municipio, Puerto Rico. In civilian labor force, total, percent of population age 16 years+, 2015-2019: 51.7%: In civilian labor force, female, percent. The majority of the casinos are in the New San Juan districts of Condado (San Juan) and Isla Verde (Carolina). There is one casino in the Puerto Rico Convention Center District where you can experience excellent gaming and entertainment. Most the casinos are open 24 hours a day and the minimum gambling age in Puerto Rico is 18 years. Also, worth mentioning is that no smoking permitted in any casinos in Puerto Rico. The majority of Puerto Rico's casinos can be found in the San Juan area. Below is a list of all casinos currently operating in the island.
List of Casinos in Puerto Rico
Below is a list of all casinos currently operating in the regions of Puerto Rico:
Blue Dolphin Casino
Casino del Mar
Casino Doral Resort at Palmas Del Mar
Casino Metro
Casino Real Humacao at Wyndham Garden Palmas Del Mar
El San Juan Resort & Casino
El Tropical Casino at Hyatt Place Bayamon
El Tropical Casino at Holiday Inn Mayagüez
El Tropical Casino at Holiday Inn Ponce
Embassy Suites by Hilton San Juan Hotel & Casino
Embassy Suites Dorado del Mar
Four Points by Sheraton Caguas Real Hotel & Casino
Hilton Ponce Golf & Casino Resort
Hyatt Dorado Beach Resort & Casino Country Club
Paradise Island Casino at Mayaguez Resort
Ocean Casino at Marriott Courtyard Aguadilla
Oasis Casino at Embassy Suites San Juan
Ponce Hilton & Casino
Casino de la Plaza at Ponce Plaza Hotel
Radisson Ambassador Plaza Hotel & Casino
Ritz-Carlton San Juan Hotel & Casino
Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino
Stellaris Casino at Marriott San Juan
The Condado Plaza Hilton
Westin Rio Mar Beach Resort, Country Club & Casino
Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Casino
Wyndham Old San Juan Hotel & Casino
History of Casinos in Puerto Rico
As far back as the 15th century during the Spanish colonisation, Puerto Ricans have been involved in one form of gambling or the other. The country did not set up a gambling or gaming commission until 1970, so most of its gambling history only spots prohibition, legalisation and regulation of certain forms of gambling.
In 1948, the Games of Chance Act (or Casino and Gambling Act) was introduced and passed as a means to fight illegal gambling facilities and activities in Puerto Rico. The act maintained some balance until 1970 when the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC) was founded by Act No. 10. The Gaming Division of PRTC, according to the Games of Chance Act and Act No. 10 of 1970, was charged with the task of licensing, regulating, supervising and promoting gambling activities and facilities within Puerto Rico.
In 1989, there was an appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States to review the Games of Chance Act. The Supreme Court permitted the Puerto Rico government to take full control of the gambling and gaming activities in the country. Since then, gambling has been a normal activity in Puerto Rico, with most gambling activities and facilities completely legal.
Today, Puerto Rico is one of the few countries that actually generate enough revenue from tourism. The Caribbean island welcomes millions of tourists year in, year out. On the same note, Puerto Rico is a very friendly environment to gamble as a native or visitor. English and Spanish are the official languages so anyone in Puerto Rico will get around quickly and be welcomed by friendly English speaking natives.
Current Gambling Climate
If there is one thing the Puerto Rico government is good at, it is their attractiveness to tourists from different locations. In the same manner, Puerto Rico attracts tourists to participate in various gambling activities throughout the country.
Gambling Age In San Juan Puerto Rico Taino
Casinos, horse racetracks, and other gambling facilities are available and completely legal. The licensing and regulatory processes are taken care of by the Gaming Division of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.
Furthermore, the country offers a total of 32 gambling facilities throughout the length and breadth of the country.
Casinos in Puerto Rico by Area
In Puerto Rico, there is a total of 32 legalised and regulated gambling facilities spread throughout 11 cities. There is a single horse racetrack in Puerto Rico, located in Canóvanas. Other 31 facilities are traditional casinos.
Puerto Rico’s capital, San Juan — which is also the largest city, offers the highest number of casinos: eight. San Juan also offers 92+ table games and 1,979+ gaming machines. Stellaris Casino at San Juan Marriott and Ritz Carlton San Juan Hotel & Casino are the largest casinos in Puerto Rico, accordingly. The former offers 26 table games and 462 gaming machines while the latter offers 351 gaming machines plus table games.
Mayaguez and Ponce are two states with a high number of casinos fully operational. However, the largest facility in Puerto Rico is not located in San Juan, Mayaguez, or Ponce — but Caguas. The casino, Four Points by Sheraton Caguas Real Hotel & Casino, offers 570 gaming machines and 10 table games.
Types of Casinos in Puerto Rico
Similar to most Caribbean territories, native Puerto Ricans and tourists patronise traditional casinos than any other form of gambling and those casinos are mostly parts of hotels, resorts, or cruise ships. The country features sports betting shops, poker tables, horse racing tracks, racinos, and many more.
For one, the Puerto Rico Lottery is a national lottery and one of the oldest modern lotteries in all America.
The Puerto Rico Lottery provides daily, weekly, and two special draws.
Further, Puerto Rican casinos offer a wide range of games and gambling activities. Slot machines, blackjack, video poker, Caribbean stud poker, and roulette are extremely popular in Puerto Rico. Craps, mini-baccarat, Texas Hold ’em, American roulette, and Pai Gow poker are also played nationwide.
Facts About Casinos in Puerto Rico
Gambling Age In San Juan Puerto Rico
– Similar to most nations outside and within Central America, the minimum gambling age in Puerto Rico is 18 years. However, some casinos stick to 21 years of age to maintain a reasonably mature crowd.
– As of 2016, Puerto Rico has a population of 3.41 million.
– The earliest evidence of gambling in Puerto Rica dates back to the 15th century.
– Cockfighting and dogfighting were illegal in Puerto Rico in 1898. In 1933, they were made legal but today, they are both illegal. At that time, there were 125 cockfighting venues in the length and breadth of Puerto Rico.
– Horse racing was made legal in 1910 by Spaniards. Off-track horse racing facilities were made legal in 1956.
– Bingo and similar games were made legal in 1950.
– Charitable gaming is popular in Puerto Rico, and only churches and other non-profit organisations are allowed to provide it. Concurrently, the organisation must be 10 years or older.
– In Puerto Rico, unregulated gambling activities (such as slot machines, horse racing, car racing, and sports betting) are considered illegal, not unregulated.
– The United States dollar (US$) is the official currency.
– Puerto Rico is home to a whole lot of ATMs, available at various gambling facilities.
– Most Puerto Ricans are fluent in both English and Spanish. So, the Caribbean territory is friendly to international visitors.
– Puerto Rico is considered a United States Commonwealth. Therefore, Puerto Ricans are native to the United States and require no passport to visit the United States (or vice versa).
– Picas is a form of small-stakes gaming native to Puerto Rico. Picas and other small-stakes games were made legal in 1927.
– The Puerto Rico Lottery was introduced by the King of Spain in 1814. However, it was not officially instituted until 1934. Finally, in 1947, it was established, legalised and regulated.
– According to the Casino and Gambling Act, every casino must be sustained on a space provided by a resort, cruise ship or hotel.
– While other forms of gambling are regulated by the Gaming Division of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, the Administración de la Industria y el Deporte Hípico regulates horse racing wagers and video lottery terminals in Puerto Rico.
Related Posts:
Photo by Shutterstock
Puerto Rico is encouraging only essential travel at the moment.
A nightly curfew and a 24-hour lockdown on Sundays will be in effect on the island through January 7.
This is a developing story. For the latest information on traveling during the coronavirus outbreak, visit the websites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization.
After loosening restrictions this fall, Puerto Rico is once again scaling back its reopening after a spike in COVID-19 cases; it is only encouraging essential travel for now. As of December 7, a 10 p.m to 5 a.m. nightly curfew and a 24-hour lockdown on Sunday will be in effect through January 7, according to the lastest travel advisory. Public beaches are closed to everyone except for those doing exercise, while restaurants, casinos, gyms, and museums are limited to 30 percent capacity. Bars and clubs remain closed.
As of December 11, there have been 93,073 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 1,238 resulting deaths in Puerto Rico, according to data from the New York Times. The CDC categorized Puerto Rico at its highest Level 4 COVID-19 rating due to the high level of cases on the island, and it is recommending that people avoid all travel there.
Here’s what else you need to know about travel in Puerto Rico right now.
Is Puerto Rico open for travel?
Puerto Rico is currently encouraging essential travel only at this time. Travelers who cannot postpone their trips must comply with all necessary requirements, including wearing face masks in public and following government mandated social-distancing efforts.
Individuals traveling for tourism purposes, including sightseeing, recreation, or attending cultural events, do not fall within the definition of “essential travel,” according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Technically, Puerto Rico has never closed its borders to U.S. citizens or foreign nationals who hadn’t been inChina, Iran, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Ireland, or the European Shengen area in the previous 14 days.
What kind of safety protocols are being put in place in Puerto Rico?
In addition to completing a travel declaration form provided by the Puerto Rico Health Department, anyone over the age of two who enters Puerto Rico will be required to supply proof of negative molecular tests (nasal or throat swabs) from 72 hours prior. The government will not accept any other type of test, including the antibody ones that require a finger stick or blood drawn. Travelers will also receive an airport exit confirmation number and QR code when uploading their molecular test results to the Puerto Rico Health Department’s online portal.
Arriving passengers who do not have test results available, refuse to submit to testing upon arrival, or test positive will be required to quarantine for 14 days and cover their own medical and extended stay expenses. Those who wish to be released from quarantine will have to undergo a molecular test and share the negative results with the government, Puerto Rico health secretary Lorenzo González told the Associated Press.
“If you don’t want to be tested, stay home. Don’t come here and complicate our situation,” he said.
Article continues below advertisement
Those who can produce negative test results upon arrival will be allowed into Puerto Rico, but they will need to follow locally mandated rules, including wearing face masks when in public, or be subjected to fines. Social distancing is being enforced by limiting capacity at restaurants, museums, and hotel pools.
What flights to Puerto Rico are available?
Because Puerto Rico never closed its borders, airlines continued to fly to and from the island. However, in order to better track people arriving in Puerto Rico, flights are only allowed in and out of San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. While both both Rafael Hernández Airport in Aguadilla (BQN) and the Mercedita International Airport in Ponce (PSE) were scheduled to reopen on July 6 to passenger travel, Discover Puerto Rico’s travel advisory states that all passenger flights are still being diverted to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport.
What else is open in Puerto Rico?
An island-wide curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and a 24-hour lockdown on Sundays will remain in place through January 7, with exceptions only made for emergencies. Ferry service to the island of Culebra for tourists started again on October 26, while ferry service to Vieques remains restricted to residents only.
Gambling Age In San Juan Puerto Rico All Inclusive Resorts
Public beaches are open solely to joggers, swimmers, and surfers. Capacity at casinos, gyms, museums, and restaurants is limited to 30 percent, while bars and clubs remain closed. Pools at hotels and other establishments are also open at 30 percent capacity. Retail shops and malls are open, as long as they operate at 30 percent capacity. Alcohol sales are also prohibited on Saturdays from 5 a.m. through Mondays at 5 a.m.
Which hotels are open?
Many hotels in Puerto Rico stayed open throughout the pandemic for displaced travelers and frontline workers and reopened to local leisure travelers starting in June. As of December 7, hotels must close their common areas at 9 p.m. in accordance with the island-wide curfew.
Gambling Age In San Juan Puerto Rico Statehood
The Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico reopened for nonessential stays on June 2. In addition to requiring temperature checks and social-distancing measures like touchless check-in and check-out services per Hyatt’s Global Care and Cleanliness Commitment, Hyatt also installed UV light purifying air conditioners in all 579 rooms on the property.
Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reservereopened on July 1, 2020. The mostly open-air property is set right on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, a 35-minute drive from San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. Many of the hotel’s 115 guest rooms come with direct beach access and private plunge pools, making it easier to social distance and limit indoor interactions with other guests. As a Marriott property, Dorado Beach is following health and safety protocols in accordance with Marriott’s Global Cleanliness Council.
The Associated Press contributed to this article. This article originally appeared online on June 26, 2020; it was updated on December 11, 2020, to include current information.
>> Next: International Flights to Bermuda Resume