Charleston Banks On Casino Cruise To Nowhere

With casinos popping up in municipalities all around the country as a new source of revenue, North Charleston is no different.

The Mayor of the South Carolina town has gained enough support in the City Council to lift an ordinance banning gambling boats and is hoping that measures can be taken to bring a gambling operation to their shores before the end of the year.

Lawmakers hope that North Charleston can bank up to $1 million a year through fees, tax assessments and licensing. In 2009 riverboat operations in Myrtle Beach paid the city almost $1.75 million from nearly 250,000 people that purchased tickets on the “cruise to nowhere”.

The North Charleston operation would work the same way. The ships would dock along the Cooper River and offer cruises into international water where gambling cannot be regulated by U.S. government. Operations could include slot machines, games of blackjack, poker and other casino games as well as dining and entertainment.

Once City Council members vote to lift the ban, then the city can start excepting proposals from interested operators.