Boulis called his fleet of 11 ships the SunCruz Casino line. There, out on the sea, passengers would gamble on poker, blackjack and slot machines. He remodeled the yachts as casinos, and began to operate his 'cruises to nowhere,' sailing three miles from the Florida coast into what was then considered international waters. In 1994 Gus Boulis, already a multi-millionaire by founding the Miami Subs sandwich shop franchise, bought a number of luxury yachts. Īt the time of the filing of bankruptcy, there were about 300 full-time and part-time employees.

Parent company Ocean Casino Cruises filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy December 28. On December 16, 2009, SunCruz Casinos was reported to be closing amid reports of owing $300,000 to the Canaveral Port Authority. SunCruz Casinos was one of many cruise lines that offered 'cruises to nowhere,' legally transporting passengers into international waters beyond the reach of federal and state gambling laws.įour ships operated out of four ports including Jacksonville ( SunCruz VII), Key Largo ( SunCruz I), Myrtle Beach ( SunCruz VIII), and Port Canaveral ( SunCruz XII).

Suncruz casino boat north myrtle beach