Tour boat wants to sail gambling cruises

Thursday, Sept. 13, 2001 | 9:43 a.m.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. -- A boat owner may be preparing to test a state Supreme Court ruling that existing South Carolina laws do not ban gambling on boats.

R.A. Green, an owner of Rosemary Coin Machine Co. and formerly one of the state's largest video gambling operators, is applying for county permits for cruises and awaiting transfer of ownership of the boat, which is docked at Bucksport Marina on the Waccamaw River in Conway.

Green did not respond to requests from The (Myrtle Beach) Sun News for an interview, but the paper reported that he was planning to operate the Queen Mary II as a casino boat.

In a ruling this summer, the state Supreme Court said the state has failed to ban boats from docking in South Carolina if they allow gambling beyond the state's territorial waters. The ruling came in a lawsuit by casino boat operator Stardancer, which docks in Littler River.

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