Bill allows Pacific Ocean gaming cruises

Friday, March 17, 2000 | 11:04 a.m.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SACRAMENTO -- A bill headed for the governor's desk helps clear the way for a 7,000-square-foot cruise ship casino that will be run by an Indian tribe.

The measure allows ships engaged in interstate or foreign travel to transport slot machines if they are turned off while the vessels are in state-controlled waters within 3 miles of shore.

Current law requires the slots to be placed in a locked compartment while the ship is in state waters.

The bill, by Senate President Pro Tem John Burton, D-San Francisco, helps a joint business venture that includes the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians. It was given final approval Thursday by the Senate on a 28-1 vote.

The Viejas tribe, Commodore Holdings and the Rosarito Beach Hotel plan to operate a cruise ship, the Enchanted Sun, between San Diego and Rosarito Beach in Baja California.

It will include a two-story, 7,000-square-foot casino that will have 10 card tables and most of the ship's 410 slot machines.

Bill supporters say it's not practical and not necessary to include a locked compartment on the ship. Current law was adopted before casinos used electric slot machines that can be turned off with a flip of a switch, supporters add.

State law bars gambling on ships that only go to and from California ports. But gambling is allowed on ships that travel from California to other states or countries, as long as it takes place in international waters.

Indian tribes have become a major political force in California in recent years, giving tens of thousands of dollars in campaign donations to state candidates.

On March 7 California voters approved Proposition 1A, which will allow expanded gambling in casinos on tribal reservations.