Casino boats welcome displaced video gamblers

Monday, Aug. 21, 2000 | 12:05 p.m.

"People get used to playing those machines and now they have nothing to do," said Dewayne Williams, co-owner of the SunCruz casino boat docked here. "A lot of them can't afford to go to Atlantic City or Mississippi and so they come to us."

The casino boats have live dealers and offer blackjack, craps, roulette and slot machines.

Ron McVey said he had frequently played on video gambling machines, but the Myrtle Beach resident is trying his luck on the Stardancer casino boat docked at the North Myrtle Beach Marina in Little River.

"I'll be driving here a lot more because of the ban," McVey said. "It's my first time on the boat."

Chris Elliott, of Myrtle Beach, said he misses the accessibility of video gambling and has gambled at casino boats at least once a week since the ban July 1.

"If I want to gamble I have to get on the boat. I can't just drive down the street," Elliott said.

"Your whole day is gone when you have to get on the boat, and you spend more money on the boat than on video poker."

Sam Gray, president and chief executive officer of the Stardancer, said he didn't think the ban on video gambling affected his business.

"The video parlor is where they bought their milk and juice, and they started gambling on the way home," Gray said. "They can walk into a parlor and walk out in a matter of minutes. Compared to taking a casino cruise, you're committing six hours of your time."

Andrew Thielen, executive director of Little River's chamber of commerce, said he doesn't know if the ban has affected the boats.

"We hope they do very well because they help our hotels and people stopping into souvenir shops," he said.

L.D. Benton, owner of the Little River Fishing Fleet, said the increased customer base on the boats could be a result of the tourist season.

"Video poker stop ped in the prime time of summer," Benton said. "There's a possibility there's been an increase, but you can't tell when you have a fluctuation of tourists. When the tourists go back after Labor Day you'll be able to tell."