San Antonio Casino – Poker Room, Racetrack & Casino
Looking for a San Antonio casino might be a challenge. In this article, we will give you details about the closest to San Antonio, TX, licensed casinos. You can also find several poker clubs and racetracks with details on the bets and games you can play there. We have not skipped the information about the online casinos in the Lone Star State.
There is no need for a spoiler alert before we say that it is next to impossible to find San Antonio casinos. That is due to the gambling legislation in Texas and the main federal laws. However, do not be discouraged because there are three land-based casinos in this state you can visit. If you are determined to have a gambling night in San Antonio, then check the list of poker rooms we have prepared for you.
Daytime gaming is also possible at the greyhound and horse racing tracks. Even if you are not a fan of standard casino games, there are the bingo rooms and the state lottery games. In the table below, you can find links to the designated sections in our article. The FAQ section, in the end, will give you brief answers to the most popular questions players in Texas ask.
Texas Gambling Laws & Federal Gambling Legislation
A person watching a gambling movie or a poker tournament held in the United States rarely wonders about the legal side of the casino games. Even so, without the US gambling laws there would not be any casinos or gambling games on the territory of the country. Every San Antonio TX casino, poker room, racetrack, and other gambling location also follows the government gaming laws mentioned in this section of our article.
Every casino near San Antonio is established according to the regulations and requirements described in the federal gambling laws in the USA. In addition, laws like the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988, Federal Wire Act of 1961, and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) are base for every state’s gambling legislation.
If you wonder if the casino in San Antonio, TX you like is legit, then check the operator’s license. According to the Texas gambling laws, the only legal casinos, betting, and gaming establishments are regulated and licensed by the Texas Gambling Commission.
We recommend you avoid playing at a San Antonio casino without the proper licenses and registrations. Otherwise, you might get in trouble with the law and end up paying a serious fine or even face jail time. It is also advisable to check the main gambling laws if you need information on the taxes you should pay on your wins. You can also find information on how the government and the state protect you from illegal gambling establishments and where to report them.
San Antonio Casinos – Land-Based Casinos Near San Antonio
No matter how hard you search, you will not be able to find San Antonio casinos. Since the gambling laws in Texas are severe, only the three federally recognized tribes own and operate Native American casinos. Even though none of them is in San Antonio, we will give you brief information about each of them because this is where Texans and guests of the Lone Star State go to play.
You may not find a casino near San Antonio, but there are many other entertainments. For example, you can visit the Cowboy Museum, San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, tribal landmarks, the Witte Museum, and many more. Alongside this, there are many historical landmarks like Alamo and adventures you can’t find even on the Las Vegas Strip map.
Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass, TX
The first legal and regulated gambling location on our list near San Antonio, TX casino is only 150 miles (241 kilometres) away, located in the South Central Texas and Rio Grande Valley. The Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass, TX, may not be one of the best casinos in the USA, but it certainly has the qualities of the great gaming rooms.
Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino is the only legal and regulated casino in Texas owned by the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas. Lucky Eagle Casino has a Class II license which means that you can play slot machines, poker, and bingo. The casino offers free membership and has an excellent private poker room with 7 tables with up to 6 players seats on each table.
| 🦅 Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino | 🎊 Details |
|---|---|
| ⌚ Working hours | 24/7 |
| 📏 Casino Size | 15,000 Square Feet |
| 🎰 Gaming Machines | 3300+ Slots, Video Poker & More |
| 🃏 Poker Room | 12 Tables Live Poker, Private Poker Room, No-Limit Texas Hold’em, Limit Texas Hold’em, Bad Beat Jackpot |
| 🍀 Bingo | Bingo Sessions (Wednesday – Sunday) |
| 🌮 Restaurants | Red Sky Grill, Riverbend Café, Azul, IHOP, Freddy’s Steakburgers, Grande Pizza Col, Eagle Eats, Wok Inn |
| 🍸 Bars | Que Pasa Lounge, Center Bar, High Limit Bar |
| 🛌 Hotel | 249 Rooms |
| 🚙 Parking | Private Parking Lot, RV Parking Lot |
| 💻 Website | Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino |
| 😊 Languages | English & Spanish |
| ☎️ Phone (Toll-Free) | 1-888-255-8259 |
| 🗺️ Address | 794 Lucky Eagle Drive, Eagle Pass, TX 78852 |
Even if there were San Antonio casinos, they would not compete with the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Hotel & Casino. Tired players and travellers can stay at the 100,000 square feet hotel, which opened in 2013. There are seven floors and 249 rooms available to the guests. If you are hungry or need entertainment, then browse the restaurants, bars, and event locations in the vicinity.
Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Hotel is prepared for all kinds of visitors and therefore is one of the best casinos in the USA. There is a huge private parking lot where you can leave your car for the duration of your stay. The Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino RV Park Campground is perfect for people travelling with recreational vehicles. There is a 24 RV campsite with water, electrical hook-ups, and sewer. The best thing is that you don’t need to make a reservation in advance.
Other Legal Texas Casinos Near San Antonio
The lack of a casino in San Antonio, TX, should not discourage you. There are a few other gambling casinos in Texas opened to Texans and visitors of the state. As we already mentioned, the only licensed casinos in this state are owned and operated by Native American tribes and located on tribal land.
Besides Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino and Hotel, you can visit Speaking Rock Casino in El Paso (542 miles from San Antonio, TX) and Naskila Gaming in Livingston (286 miles from San Antonio, TX). Both casinos have a Class II gambling license, which allows them to offer bingo, gaming machines, and non-banked card games. You should know that you have to be at least 18 years old to go near a tribal casino, but most locations apply the “you must be 21 years old to play” rule as stated in the USA legislation.
Since Class II gaming excludes poker tables, slot machines or roulette, table games and card players may not be satisfied with those gaming centres. We regret to inform you, but you can’t find a San Antonio, TX casino with all possible casino games available to players. Texas is one of the states where the gambling locations can get Class I, Class II, or Class III licenses. So far, the tribal casinos aim to acquire a Class II gaming license.
If you wish to have the full casino experience and jump from the slots to the blackjack table and then to the roulette, you will need to travel out of state. The nearest all-gambling games allowed locations are the Louisiana riverboat casinos (545 miles away from San Antonio, TX) and the cruise ships docking on the Mexican Gulf ports.
San Antonio Poker Clubs – Top Poker Rooms in San Antonio, TX
There might not be a casino near San Antonio, but this Lone Star State city has many poker clubs. Movies like Maverick (1994) shaped an idea of the old Wild West poker games when problems were settled with a shooting or a bar fight. Today, Texas is a long way from its outlaw past and has strict gambling laws for operators and players.
We will skip all details and tell you in short that in Texas, only private rooms in card clubs offer poker games. Players can receive their personal winnings from the game, but not other economic benefits. Betting on the outcome of the game or bookmarking is illegal. Regardless of the game, all participants must have equal winning or losing chances, except for their personal skills and luck.
| Poker Club | Opening Time | Games | Extras | Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamo Card House 2 | 11:00 AM – 3:00 AM | Hold’em, Omaha | Free Wi-Fi, Gender-neutral restrooms, Offers Military Discount, In-person visits | 2899 NE Loop 410, Ste 108, San Antonio, TX 78217 |
| The Vault | 6:00 PM – 2:00 AM | Poker & Card Games | Member-Inspired and Member-Built 12 Table Premier Card Club; Complimentary Water and Drinks | 5121 Crestway Dr, Ste 203, San Antonio, TX 78239 |
| Abby J Card House | 12:00 PM – 4:00 AM | Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Congress, Big O | Membership-Based Poker Club | 23535 IH-10 W, Ste 3002, San Antonio, TX 78257 |
| Champions Poker Club | 6:00 PM – 2:00 AM | Texas Hold’em, Omaha | Scheduled High Payout Poker Tournaments | 8721 Botts Ln, San Antonio, TX 78217 |
| Royale Card Club | 6:00 PM – 2:00 AM | Poker & Card Games | Private Parking Lot, Bike Parking, Dogs Allowed, Gender-Neutral Restrooms, Offers Military Discount | 410 Valley Hi Dr, Ste 109, San Antonio, TX 78227 |
| Rounders Card Club | 11:00 AM – 2:00 AM | Texas Hold’em, Other Poker & Card Games | Tournaments, Virtual Performances | 3723 Colony Dr, Ste 101, San Antonio, TX 78230 |
Undoubtedly, the poker rooms will remain the most visited gambling locations even after the first San Antonio casinos are created. This classic card game and its variations give the thrill of testing your luck and improving your individual skills. If you feel inspired to play, and the poker clubs in the table above are not enough, check other locations like SA Card House, Purple Joker Social Club, Twenty Grand, Banana’s Billiards, and more.
Now that you have a list of poker rooms and learned skills from the poker movies, it is time to hit the tables. Have fun and play, but keep in mind that there are penalties for breaking the Texas gambling laws. Underage players or visiting an unlicensed establishment can bring fines, community service, or probation. For extremely great violations or gambling crimes, there is even jail or prison time.
San Antonio Racetracks – Horses & Greyhound Racing
The one thing you can’t do at a casino in San Antonio, TX, is bet on races. The Louisiana gambling laws may allow roulette, blackjack, and the rest of the casino games, but they forbid dog or greyhound races. Unlike the neighbouring state, Texas allows horse and greyhound races. The condition is that the races are performed on special racetracks, and the bets are made before the race.
- Gulf Greyhound Park (La Marque): Daily live greyhound races on a sand track (quarter-mile).
- Lone Star Park (Grand Prairie): Every spring between April and July, and in the fall between September and November, you can wager on daily live quarter and thoroughbred horse racing.
- Manor Downs (Manor): From March to April, you can see live quarter and thoroughbred horse races.
- Retama Park Racetrack (Selma): Bettors can follow two tracks with live quarter and thoroughbred horse races daily.
- Sam Houston Race Park (Houston): Another great race park with two tracks with live quarter and thoroughbred horse racing.
- Valley Race Park (Harlingen): Great live greyhound racing track opened daily.
All listed greyhound and horse race tracks are part of the national simulcast games. This way, players in many gambling sites, casinos near San Antonio, or worldwide can place their bets. If you are a traditional player who likes to smell the grass while watching the action, check the racetracks’ work time. Have fun and don’t forget to take a picture with the winner if you have a chance.
Online Gambling in Texas – Laws & Legality
If you think that the laws and restrictions for land-based casinos are strict, you have no idea what it is for operators who wish to open an online San Antonio casino. Despite the many attempts to change the Texas laws, it is illegal to operate an online gambling site. This is because the profitable nature of online gaming is not appealing to the government yet. Still, many tribes, private organizations, and land-based casino owners push for changes to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006.
Even though it is illegal to participate in online gambling, the Texas authorities do not pursue players registered at offshore online casinos. Therefore, many players take advantage of this and try the online legal casinos based in Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and the rest of the states where online games are allowed. Alternatively, you can look for an operator abroad because the online gambling laws worldwide are not as strict as the ones in the USA.
San Antonio Casino Popular Questions
Our San Antonio casino and gambling locations article has detailed information about the poker rooms, racetracks, and other gaming opportunities in San Antonio, Texas. Now, we will summarize the information and answer some of the most popular San Antonio gambling questions.
