Page 43: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 1991)

Owners, Builders Find

New Expanding Market \

In Gambling Vessels/Riverboat Casinos

New Legislation Could Mean Construction Of 50 Boats In Next 5 Years

Maritime Reporter Staff on the Mississippi River, Lakes

Pontchartrain and Maurepas, Bayou

Bienvenu, the Gulf Intracoastal

Waterway, the Mississippi River

Gulf Outlet, and the Red, Ouachita,

Atchafalaya, Calcasieu and

Mermenteau Rivers. The bill limits the number of licenses to 15 river- boats. All the boats will have to be built and repaired in Louisiana, as well as crewed by state residents and outfitted with gaming equip- ment by state suppliers. The bill also requires all the vessels be paddlewheel driven. The Louisiana yards of the Trinity Marine Group,

Service Marine Industries and

Leevac are expected to be the most important players in this market.

The bill has been sent to Gov.

Buddy Roemer, who is expected to sign it into law.

In Illinois, the M/V Alton Belle

Casino is expected to be the first gambling vessel to operate out of that state when she starts service this month.

In Iowa, where operations began

April 1 of this year, gaming legisla- tion is geared more toward low stakes gambling, The Diamond Lady and Emerald Lady, operated by

Steamboat Development Corp.,

Dubuque Casino Belle and Missis- sippi Belle II, owned by Robert's 44

River Rides and the President, owned by the Connelly Group, are in service now, with several others ex- pected to join them later this year.

The Largest On

The Mississippi

Delivered by Patti Shipyards,

Pensacola, Fla., the Victorian-style riverboat Dubuque Casino Belle is reportedly the largest passenger vessel and gambling boat operating on the Mississippi. Owned by Rob- erts River Rides and operating out of Dubuque, Iowa, the 387-foot four- deck floating casino, fully outfitted with its gaming equipment, was built at a cost of about $12 million. U.S.

Coast Guard-certified to carry 2,000 passengers, the Dubuque Casino

Belle was reportedly the first Ameri- can-flagged vessel to receive a li- cense for casino gambling.

Although designed to resemble a 19th century sidewheeler, the

Dubuque Casino Belle is fitted with a modern screw propulsion. Three

Cummins model KTA38-M diesel engines, supplied by Northern Iowa

Diesel of Dubuque, produce a total horsepower of2,400 hp at 1,800 rpm.

Power is transmitted to her three

Maritime Reporter/Engineering News

Laws Offer

New Opportunities

For Shipyards

With the return of the Missis- sippi gambler, small- and medium- sized shipyards have found a new niche market, one which could offer significant construction opportuni- ties over the next three to five years.

Conservative estimates place the number of these vessels to be built in the next five years at over 50.

Bayou La Batre, Alabama, builder

Steiner Shipyard, for one, is plan- ning to capitalize on the booming casino boat market. "Casino boats are the hottest segment of the entire marine construction industry," said

Russell Steiner, the company's president.

The Legislation

After years of political maneu- vering, state counties in Iowa, Illi- nois and Mississippi have approved legislature legalizing riverboat gam- bling. The Louisiana legislature recently passed a bill legalizing riverboat gambling. Revenues for

Louisiana alone are projected at $20 million to $30 million per year. The bill would allow riverboat gambling

Michigan Work Horse 64-inch-di- ameter propellers via Aquamet shafting and three ZF BW-251 trans- missions. The Dubuque Casino

Belle, with a beam of 58 feet, draft of 5 feet, is actually an integrated com- bination vessel, consisting of a 100- foot power module and 250-foot pas- senger barge connected by a winch cable system.

She has three casinos, with a 272- seat theater lounge and bar, and two dining areas, as well as the children's play area, and souvenir gift shop.

DUBUQUE CASINO BELLE

Equipment List

Main engines (3) Cummins

Propellers Michigan

Thrusters (2) Thrustmaster

Generator engine Cummins

ZF

Engine controls Schrader-Bellows

Steering controls Custom Hydraulics

Shafting Aquamet

Coatings Seaguard

VHF radio Kenwood

Radar Furuno

Fire pump MCM

Bilge pumps MP. Pump (continued)