Casino Boat to bring gambling back to Savannah riverfront

<p>Casino boats on Savannahs waterfront folded a decade ago, but a new operation is ready to roll the dice.</p><p>Millionaires Casino, a 187-foot boat capable of holding 450 passengers, is set to open March 1.</p><p>Two daily cruises will depart from the Hyatt Regency Savannah to international waters three miles offshore, where gambling is legal.</p><p>The boat will offer 325 slot machines and gambling at black jack, craps, roulette and poker tables plus sports betting via satellite feed, said manager Jim Monaghan.</p><p>The casino will employ about 150 people, he said.</p><p>Monaghan said hes playing a different game than past casinos, most of which shut down after less than a year. His boat is designed for gambling, where the others were converted work boats, he said.</p><p>Also, the market has changed since the early 1990s, when gaming was legal in South Carolina and video poker machines filled many Georgia convenience stores, said Monaghan, whose company, Dynamic Gaming Solutions, has 15 years of casino experience.</p><p>The closest gambling is down the coast in Brunswick on the states only casino boat.</p><p>The supply and demand is already here, Monaghan said. Wed be the only game in town for this kind of entertainment.</p><p>Monaghan, who has joined the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, Savannah Waterfront Association and Historic Savannah Foundation, said people support his venture.</p><p>Everyone is excited, Monaghan said. The biggest comment I get is, Its about time.</p><p>His liquor license application drew no comment from City Council members when it was approved three weeks ago.</p><p>But some business owners are skeptical.</p><p>I dont think it will last that long, said Stan Strickland, a River Street business owner. It will have the same problems that the previous ones had.</p><p>The trip to international waters will be 80 minutes and can be rough on those who suffer sea sickness. Monaghan said he has a plan: He will lease dock space from Williams Seafood on the Bull River off U.S. 80 for another stop for passengers who do not want to take the long trip down the river.</p><p>From Williams its a short 10-minute trip to international waters, he wrote in a business plan filed to the city.</p><p>But Williams Seafood owner Tommy Williams said the two have only informally talked and there is no agreement yet.</p><p>While docked at the Hyatt, the boats top-deck restaurant, raw bar and a few bars with live entertainment will be open to the public, Monaghan said. The gambling deck will be closed but there will be 150 video gaming redemption machines that are permitted under laws that allow arcade games to spit out tickets to buy trinkets valued under $5.</p><p>Monaghan said his prizes will likely include gift certificates.</p><p>Although a city ordinance requires bars to shut down at 2:55 a.m., Monaghan claims that he will be able to operate 24 hours a day while docked because his bar floats.</p><p>City Revenue Director Buddy Clay disagreed.</p><p>The waterway belongs to the city, and while hes docked, we see him as any other business, he said.</p><p>Casino attorney Adam Kirk said his advice to Monaghan is to act like the business is on land.</p><p>The city of Savannah is powerful enough to give us problems in other respects if we start taking advantage of loopholes, he said.</p>

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