Free State of Galveston syndicate. The "Free State" economy was not confined simply to the island but extended through much of Galveston County. Throughout the county there were substantial casino operations developed by the Fertitta, Salvato and Maceo families, including the casino districts in Kemah (featuring the Chili Bowl and White House casinos among others) and Dickinson (featuring the Silver Moon and the Dickinson Social Club). Houstonians often humorously referred to the Galveston County line as the "Maceo-Dickinson line" (a pun referring to the Mason-Dixon line). The vice activities on the island and in the county were not unique in Texas. San Antonio had
Port of Galveston and two Royal Caribbean ships call the port home year-round, while Disney operates one ship for limited sailings. An estimated 946,000 cruise passengers will sail from the port in 2017, a ten percent increase over 2016. A 2015 economic analysis estimated that cruise passengers injected $56 million per year into the local Galveston economy, an average of $62 per passenger. There are two dedicated cruise terminals. Unlike many other ports, the cruise terminals are not used for other activities, such as conferences or corporate events. Terminal 1 was expanded and improved in 2010, as a condition of Carnival placing their