| 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 |
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]
Gambling laws in SC now only allow casino boats along the coast in Horry County. Video gambling took South Carolina by storm during the 1990s. The Big M Casino boat leaves Little River on.
- In short, Little River Sc Gambling Boat we handle everything in order to guarantee your evening will be a hit. In these days of coronavirus, we encourage everyone to stay in and stay healthy. Since Little River Sc Gambling Boat we assume your casino party plans are put on hold for now, we suggest you try out a new online casino. They have tons of splashy games, cash and free spin bonuses, daily tournaments and more!
- The Big 'M' Casino, Little River, South Carolina. South Carolina's ONLY Casino offering TWO luxury yachts to choose from. We pay out an average of $383,000 a week! Get in on the Winning!.
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.
South Carolina is one of the strictest states in the US when it comes to gambling. Unlike many other states, South Carolina does not have any casinos in its major cities. You can not legallyplay at online casinos or participate in any daily fantasy sports. You can’t go to the horse tracks or any pari-mutuel facilities because they do not exist in the state.
Currently, the lottery, bingo, and one casino cruise are your only options for legal gambling in South Carolina.
Online Casinos in South Carolina
South Carolina is very against the idea of people playing at online casinos. The state isn't gambler friendly and has prohibited all forms of online gambling. Even on land, you will only findone venue to legally gamble at.
Since the laws are extremely strict around online betting, it doesn't appear online casinos will ever exist legally in South Carolina. If you're found guilty of participating in any type ofonline game activity, you could be subject to a large fine and prison time.
You can still play slots and casino games at a social online casino, but won’t be able to play for real money. Sometimes you can even find poker at the social casinos, but your choices will bevery limited in South Carolina.
Land-Based Casinos in South Carolina
Unlike its neighbor North Carolina, there are no land-based casinos or Indian casinos in South Carolina. If you want to gamble in the Palmetto State, you’ll have to jump on a boat and sail downthe river.
Types Of Casinos In South Carolina
Casino Gambling Boats At Little River Sc
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 boatsails 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.
List Of Land-based Casinos In South Carolina
Below is a list of all casinos in South Carolina. Click on a name to see a page of detailed information about that particular South Carolina casino.
The Big M Casino
Little River Sc Casino Gambling Boats For Sale
- 4495 Mineola Ave, Little River, SC 29566
- (843) 249-9811
The Big M Casino is the only casino located in South Carolina. It operates as a luxurious casino ship and caters to everyone who is at least 21 years of age. The Big M Casino offers blackjack,craps, roulette, three card poker, let it ride, slots, and video poker. A cash bar and a la carte food service are also offered.
No public information is available concerning the payback percentages on gaming machines at South Carolina casinos. Please note that Unlike the South Carolina casinos, in many states the slotmachine payback statistics for that particular state’s casinos are released as a matter of public record. Just click here to see a list of slot machine payback statistics for casinos in all U.S. states.
South Carolina Land-Based Casinos Map
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