Beneath the cerulean skies of Myrtle Beach, the Big M Casino boat awaits its patrons, a portal to high seas adventure where fortunes are both lost and found to the rhythmic rolling of dice and the spinning of slot machine reels. This celebrated floating den of revelry, docked faithfully in Little River, South Carolina, whispers to those seeking excitement—a siren song promising the allure of Lady Luck.
But those familiar faces, the sea-faring gamblers who frequent the Big M, may soon be feeling a tug on their purse strings more forceful than the one-armed bandit’s pull. For local officials, with their pens poised for change, have cast a telling glance towards the per-passenger entry fee, signaling rougher financial waters ahead.
The machinations of the Horry County Council are underway, with Ordinance 120-2024 poised to crest the wave of legislation at their gathering on November 12. This document heralds a continuation for gaming vessels to dock within county confines, their decks cleared for the voyage to international waters—waters in which the constraints of mainland laws dissolve, and the Big M can unfurl its full casino splendor.
While the report of this extension might sparkle in the eyes of the Big M’s proprietors, this boon comes at a premium. The harborage rates, governed by the current grace of South Carolina’s Gambling Cruise Act, draw $7 from the coffers of the casino per embarking soul. Yet, the dawn of February 5, 2025, brings with it a rise in tariff to $10, with the oncoming spring bloom seasoning the fee to crest at $15—a fare locked in for a five-year passage until yet another increment anchors it at $18 starting January 1, 2030.
Each month, by the twentieth day, the ordinance dictates a tribute paid to the Horry County Treasurer—an exacting toll for the privilege of gambling at sea, verified quarterly by the heavy hand of the IRS Form 720 in duplicate.
This proposed 61% levy hike over the next quinquennial remains unanswered by the Big M Casino, its queries sent into the ether by Casino.org yet to find a harbor.
In palmetto-clad South Carolina, the draw of the Big M is a singular beacon for those with gambler’s hearts. As the only active casino cruise operator in the state, she sets sail six days a week, carving through time with day cruises under the auspicious South Carolina sun and evening journeys under the watchful glow of the moon.
One might secure passage for a mere $20, save for the illustrious Saturday night excursions demanding $30—rates that encompass the boarding fee and all due taxes aside.
For in this bastion of southern splendor, where not even a whisper of high-stakes competition exists beyond the state-run lottery, Big M stands alone. Since her sea legs carried her to Myrtle Beach from the sun-kissed shores of Florida’s Fort Myers Beach in 2005, she has offered solace to those defying chance.
With 250 slot machines and tables manned by croupiers dealing with the fate of blackjack, the swirl of roulette, or the cunning challenge of Let It Ride and Three-Card Poker, the Big M Casino Ship II has something to tempt every taste. Enforced is the absence of smoking within its confines, a faint comfort to which an outdoor patio offers recourse.
And though sustenance of the soul is the promise here, the corporeal form is not neglected, with offerings of subs, wraps, the simplicity of snacks, and the potent bite of spirited beverages. All this against the backdrop of the Intracoastal Waterway, a stone’s throw from the whims of the North Carolina border — truly, the Big M Casino boat is more than a mere vessel. It is the heartbeat of high-stakes thrills in a region where such pulses are seldom felt.
