History
The United States bought the USVI in 1916 when it was still called the Dutch West Indies. Gambling in The United States Virgin Islands has been around for almost twenty five years. The islands came across a few natural hiccups in getting the ball rolling but have not looked back since.
Gambling in USVI has seen steady growth and interest since its inception, and with many future casino plans in the works, there’s no sign of that stopping any time soon!
The Virgin Islands Casino and Resort Control Act was passed in 1995 and the first casino, the Divi Carina Bay, opened in 2001, following delays caused by a tragic hurricane in 1999.
-
1994-1995
In 1994 voters pushed a vote in favor of legalizing gambling in the United States Virgin Islands. It was officially passed into law in 1995 with the Virgin Islands Casino and Resort Control Act.
-
1999
In the year 1999 a hurricane ravaged the Virgin Islands and caused the casino under construction to be badly damaged, setting back the opening day by years.
-
2001
In the year 2001, The United States Virgin Islands passed a bill that legalized online gambling. The act does not extend to licensing of online gambling companies but makes it legal for people to partake. This is also the year that the delayed casino construction of Divi Carina Bay finally finished and the casino opened for the first time.