Developer hopes to bring gambling ship to Virginia

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- A developer wants to bring a gambling yacht to this resort city so passengers could try their hands at roulette and slots while enjoying the amenities of a dinner cruise ship.

Developer Paul Galloway envisions operating the 140-foot yacht from an old marina he intends to revamp into an upscale boating and commercial fishing complex.

The yacht would cruise out of Lynnhaven Inlet into waters beyond Virginia's three-mile territorial reach for short gambling excursions by early 2000.

The boat would join the growing "cruise-to-nowhere" industry along the East and Gulf coasts.

In South Carolina, the Victori Casino is continuing to sail out of Little River in Horry County while the state pursues appeals or legislation to ban casino ships.