Tarpon casino boat gets go-ahead
The City Commission approves a plan to shuttle passengers from a restaurant to international waters.
By NORA KOCH
Published January 27, 2005
TARPON SPRINGS - Nearly two years since the last casino cruise sailed down the Anclote River, gambling is coming back to the Sponge Docks.
For weeks, the city has been buzzing over the Mardi Gras Queen Casino, a new venture that is already advertising on 132 billboards throughout the Tampa Bay area.
On Tuesday, the City Commission voted 4-0 to approve a plan to shuttle passengers from a dock behind Pappas' Riverside Restaurant to a floating casino out in international waters.
Commissioners cited concerns about parking, security and the morality of gambling. But they couldn't make their decision based on whether they want to bring gambling to Tarpon Springs' cultural district, said Commissioner David Archie.
"We're not voting on a casino boat, we're voting on an offshore tour vessel," Archie said.
Archie and other commissioners said that because the plans met city codes, they had no choice but to approve the project.
Mayor Beverley Billiris, whose family owns property at the Sponge Docks and in the past has done business with other casino operations, said she had a conflict and recused herself from the vote.
Mardi Gras Queen Casino has spent $2-million to get the casino up and running, said general manager Matthew Plauche.
The New Orleans-themed ship will make its debut Feb. 6 with a Super Bowl party. A highlight of the casino will be poker tournaments that include champions from the World Series of Poker.
The shuttle boat, which will make six trips a day to the mother ship, holds 280 passengers. Plauche said he hopes to attract 1,000 people a day to the casino, which will run its first daily shuttle at 9:30 a.m., with the casino closing at 2 a.m. The three-level, 186-foot casino boat holds 500 passengers. Free valet parking will be available at the entrance to Pappas' restaurant.
Admission and boat rides are free to the casino, which has 225 slot machines, 15 poker tables, nine blackjack tables and a table each for roulette and dice.
Nora Koch can be reached at 727 771-4304 or nkoch@sptimes.com