Little River Sc Casino Gambling Boats
| Private (Owned by Aquasino Partners of South Carolina, LLC) | |
| Industry | Transportation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Little River, South Carolina |
Area served | Horry County, South Carolina |
| Products | Cruises, Gambling |
| Website | http://www.suncruzcasino.com |
There is only one casino boat in operation, The Big M Casino in Little River, SC. Actually the company has two boats in operation that alternate sailing days and times. In either case, the boat sails three miles out into international waters where casino gambling is permitted. This is the only type of gambling you will find for South Carolina casinos.
- 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. South Carolina casinos are extremely popular, as they don’t just provide machines and table games, but create an elegant and distinctive onboard ambiance.
- Out of all casinos in South Carolina you'll find Big M Casino Cruise II - Little River to be the biggest. It has 248 gaming machines and 14 table games. You can reach South Point Casino by phone at (843) 249-9811 or by clicking this link: Big M Casino Cruise II - Little River to see its information page. 2nd Biggest Casino / Gaming Facility in South Carolina.
- If you’re looking for something unique to do around the Grand Strand, check out the Big “M” Casino boat cruise based out of Little River. Big “M” Casino is the only casino boat in South Carolina that has two luxury yachts that offer day and evening cruises.
- Little River SC Casino Cruise – SunCruz Casino Wilmington NC Day Trip Idea – The Little River Casino Across the South Carolina Boarder. Residents of Wilmington and visitors to the area don’t have to travel all the way to Vegas to enjoy a top-notch gambling experience.
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]
Casino Gambling Boats At Little River Sc
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.
Footnotes[edit]
- ^New York Times retrieved Sept. 19, 2012
- ^'Port of Palm Beach statement'.
- ^NBC News
- ^http://www.cfnews13.com/Business/LocalBusinessHeadlines/2009/12/29/suncruzs_parent_company_files_for_bankruptcy.html
- ^Price, Wayne T. (11 January 2010). 'SunCruz offers apologies'. Florida Today. Melbourne, Florida: Florida Today. pp. 14A.
- ^'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.
- ^Naquin, Ryan (2011-11-16). 'Horry County sues casino boat for not paying passenger fees'. WPDE-TV. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
- ^Naquin, Ryan (2011-11-16). 'Casino boat gets reality show, still owes county $500,000'. WPDE-TV. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
- ^'SunCruz Casino responds to lawsuit'. WMBF-TV. 2011-11-16. Retrieved 2012-09-25.
- ^Naquin, Ryan (2012-11-16). 'Horry County sues casino boat for not paying passenger fees'. CarolinaLive.com. Retrieved 2014-03-03.
- ^Naquin, Ryan (2012-08-02). 'Sun Cruz Casino ordered to pay Horry County taxes'. WPDE-TV. Retrieved 2012-09-25.