Shallow water forces closure of casino

Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2005 | 9:18 a.m.

METROPOLIS, Ill. -- Low water levels forced the closure of Harrah's Metropolis Casino, the first time the riverboat has been closed because of shallow water since it opened in 1993, officials said Monday.

The casino was shut down Sunday night due to unsafe walking conditions between a barge moored on the bank of the Ohio River and a gaming boat, The Paducah Sun in Kentucky reported. The barge was resting a few feet higher than the grounded barge, instead of floating at the same level.

The casino was expected to remain closed Tuesday, officials said.

"The only good news out of this thing is that Sunday night to Tuesday really is our slowest period of the week," marketing director Paul Long said. "We don't think this is going to be more than a two- or three-day problem."

Workers on Monday installed a longer ramp at the main entrance between the barge and gaming boat but the gaming boat's fire exits were still shorter than the law requires. Workers also labored to remove sediment that had built up beneath the barge.

The casino will likely lose about _$500,000 in gambling revenues as a result of the closure, Long said. The city of Metropolis will also lose between _$25,000 and _$30,000 in tax revenue each day the casino remains closed.

While this is the first time its been closed because of shallow water, Harrah's was closed for six days in January because of flooding along the Ohio River. A high-water shutdown also occurred in 1997.