Little River Sc Casino Boat

South Carolina Casinos are different from most others you will find in America. That’s because South Carolina casinos can float. The state has a beautiful coastline, and has taken advantage of this by introducing casinos boats that invite their passengers on cruises to remember, where they can gamble to their heart’s content while watching the brilliant blue water drift by or an amazing sunset. Most South Carolina casino boats set sail twice daily, for trips of up to five hours. It’s a unique way to gamble, and draws vacationers not only from the adjoining states of Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee, but from all over the country and worldwide.

Big M Casino Cruise. Visit the Big M Casino Cruise along the Little River Waterfront and experience the Grand Strand’s only casino boat tour! Big M Casino has two boats that offer gambling cruises featuring Las Vegas style gaming. Games found on these boats include Blackjack, Roulette, 3 Card Poker, Craps, Let it Ride, Slots, and more. LITTLE RIVER, SC (WMBF) - Employees say more than 200 jobs were lost when Sun Cruz closed its doors in December, but a new casino boat is on its way. One of two Big M Casino Cruise ships that depart from Little River, South Carolina, the 400-passenger Big M Casino Ship II departs from 4491 Mineola Ave. Big M Casino Ship l is also a 400 passenger luxury yacht that departs from 4491 Waterfront Ave in Little River.

Of all the casinos in South Carolina, the Big M Casino, San Cruz, Aquasino, and Diamond Casino Cruise are among the top providers of South Carolina casino boats. The most regular departure points for the boats are central Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle and Little River. All the games you would find in casinos in Las Vegas or Louisiana are available, including hundreds of slot machines games, poker, craps, roulette and blackjack. South Carolina Casino boats are ideal for gamblers who like to know that the gaming floor won’t get too crowded, as the boats will only carry a limited number of passengers. The Big M Casino, in Little River, carries 500 passengers and has 7,000 square feet of gaming space. The Aquasino, also in Little River, has an impressive 10,000 square feet of gaming space, while the Diamond Casino Cruise is a smaller vessel, with only 4,000 square feet of space.

Little River Sc Casino Boat Schedule

South Carolina casinos are extremely popular, as they don’t just provide machines and table games, but create an elegant and distinctive onboard ambiance. The casino boats provide entertainment and comfort in upscale style, offering all-you-can-eat buffets, complimentary alcoholic drinks, and a free shuttle service from your hotel. You can expect live entertainment on the boats, including musical shows and comedy acts, as well as onboard DJs on the later sailings. It’s convenient that there are two sailing times for the boat, as this allows you to either spend the day shopping and seeing the sights, and hopping onboard for your gambling experience in the evening, or spending the day on the tables and machines, and still having your evening free to sample the state's vibrant nightlife, especially the nightlife of Myrtle Beach. The majority of South Carolina casinos have at least one restaurant, as well as a bar, so there’s no fear of going hungry or thirsty, whatever time you choose to cruise.

Visitors to casinos in South Carolina often choose to play at night, as some of the top things to do in South Carolina are day-time pursuits. Myrtle Beach golf is world famous. The approximately 100 golf courses, set in stunning natural surroundings, draw thousands of golfers from across the globe each year. Fishing, camping, and white water rafting are also becoming favorite pursuits. Many of the South Carolina casinos are in close proximity to the golden sands of the state’s beautiful beaches. Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach are two of the best beaches in the country, and many casino visitors choose to stay in the South Carolina resorts in these areas.

The SunCruz Aquasino is a 220 foot long, 600 passenger, 5 hour gambling cruise ship based in Little River, South Carolina. The SunCruz Aquasino offered 'Cruises to Nowhere,' legally transporting passengers into international waters beyond federal and state gambling laws. SunCruz Aquasino offers classic table games such as blackjack and craps, as well as a live poker room and slot machines.

History[edit]

SunCruz was founded by multimillionaire Konstantinos 'Gus' Boulis (who also founded the Miami Subs sandwich shop franchise). Boulis purchased eleven luxury yachts which he remodeled into casinos. These would conduct 'Cruises to Nowhere', consisting of a three-mile cruise from the Florida coast into what was then considered international waters.^[1] While in international waters, passengers could gamble on poker, blackjack and slot machines. Boulis named the fleet the SunCruz Casino line. By the time of its sale in 2000, SunCruz was earning tens of millions of dollars of profits annually, and had over 2,000 employees.

In September 2007, SunCruz discontinued operations at Palm Beach,^[2] and service has subsequently been discontinued at Daytona and Treasure Island as well. On December 16, 2009, SunCruz Casinos was reported to be closing amid allegations that it owed $300,000 to the Canaveral Port Authority.^[3] Less than two weeks later, on December 28, parent company Ocean Casino Cruises filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy.^[4] At the time of the filing, there were approximately 300 full and part-time employees.^[5] In May 2010, SunCruz returned to Little River, South Carolina under a new name, SantaCruz Casino, and under new ownership by Casino Partners of South Carolina, LLC.^[6]

Lawsuit by Horry County[edit]

In 2011, Horry County sued the operator of SunCruz Aquasino for breach of contract, alleging that SunCruz had failed to make payments to Horry County for passenger fees received during the months of August and September 2011. Horry County was supposed to receive a fee of $7 per passenger instead, of collecting taxes based on the boat's revenue. The suit asked for $165,000 in back payments plus legal costs.^[7][8][9] Aquasino asserted they had stopped making payments due to the county not enforcing a ban on illegal gambling, which was also part of the agreement. The company's position was that it had protested the boarding fees from the beginning of their relationship with the county, stating they were onerous. Even so, they had continued to pay those fees in good faith. However, when the county did not seem to be doing enough regarding the illegal gambling, they suspended payments, entering into negotiations with the county to reach a compromise. It was during these negotiations when the county filed its lawsuit.^[10]

On July 23, 2012, Horry County Circuit Judge Benjamin Culbertson ordered SunCruz Casino to start paying the passenger boarding fees as stipulated in the agreement, but did not issue a ruling on any alleged past due amounts. On July 29, the county received a check for $20,202.^[11]

Cruz/Gambling Features and Options[edit]

SunCruz Aquasino offers players Vegas-style slots ranging from $0.02 to $25.00, including ticket-in and ticket-out machines. Blackjack, Poker, Texas Hold ’Em, Rummy, Roulette, Craps, and sports-book wagering are also offered.

See also[edit]

• SunCruz Casinos, a former casino boat company that went bankrupt in 2009.

Little River Sc Casino Boat

Footnotes[edit]

1. ^New York Times retrieved Sept. 19, 2012
2. ^'Port of Palm Beach statement'.
3. ^NBC News
4. ^http://www.cfnews13.com/Business/LocalBusinessHeadlines/2009/12/29/suncruzs_parent_company_files_for_bankruptcy.html
5. ^Price, Wayne T. (11 January 2010). 'SunCruz offers apologies'. Florida Today. Melbourne, Florida: Florida Today. pp. 14A.
6. ^'New owners buy Sun Cruz, sending casino boat to SC'. Carolina Live/ WPDE-TV. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: Carolina Live/ WPDE-TV. 4 April 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
7. ^Naquin, Ryan (2011-11-16). 'Horry County sues casino boat for not paying passenger fees'. WPDE-TV. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
8. ^Naquin, Ryan (2011-11-16). 'Casino boat gets reality show, still owes county $500,000'. WPDE-TV. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
9. ^'SunCruz Casino responds to lawsuit'. WMBF-TV. 2011-11-16. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
10. ^Naquin, Ryan (2012-11-16). 'Horry County sues casino boat for not paying passenger fees'. CarolinaLive.com. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
11. ^Naquin, Ryan (2012-08-02). 'Sun Cruz Casino ordered to pay Horry County taxes'. WPDE-TV. Retrieved 2012-09-25.