These days, you can still gamble on riverboat casinos in Louisiana, and here are some of the finest examples the Southern state has to offer. So the riverboat casino was born, and the rest is the stuff of legends.Īs these maritime mobile casinos slowly cruised down the rivers and bayou waterways with their paddlewheels churning water and stacks belching steam clouds, a colorful cast of characters put their chips down in the riverboat casinos. But when the going gets tough the tough go sailing. Casinos on land were outlawed in 1880 in Louisiana. These stately, floating hotels began to house casinos when gambling on land was forbidden. The majestic 19 th century riverboats which plied the Mighty Mississippi River were more than mere aquatic transport.