Big gambling ship to make trips from Texas coast

Tuesday, July 18, 2000 | 10:49 a.m.

The Las Vegas owner of the ship, Viva Gaming and Resorts Inc., plans to base the 420-foot vessel, the "Texas Treasure", at Harbor Island in Port Aransas.

Company officials hope the 1,200-passenger ship will be ready for twice-daily voyages into international waters by mid-September.

Viva Gaming plans to target tourists from San Antonio, Corpus Christi and the Rio Grande Valley. The company projects tourists will generate $1.5 million annually for the local economy, company spokesman Mike Katz told the San Antonio Express-News in Tuesday's editions.

"We can't wait to get this thing launched," Katz said. "We've had nothing but very positive feedback from all of the Corpus people."

The white and blue cruise ship attracted a small crowd as it arrived on the Texas coast Monday and docked in the Port of Corpus Christi - normally the domain of tankers, barges and tugboats.

Texas sends more visitors to Las Vegas than every state but California, accounting for 1.8 million airline bookings a year, and Texans also make up a big chunk of the gamblers in Louisiana.

"The state of Texas has always liked to play," Katz said.

The Port of Corpus Christi is leasing the land on Harbor Island to Viva Gaming, which is responsible for developing the dock, terminal, parking and access to its facilities.

In June, the company began paying the city $3,200 a month on a five-year lease for the six-acre property. The port authority also will receive $1 for each passenger who boards the ship, according to the lease agreement.