The Big M I casino cruise ship, which operates out of Fort Myers Beach, Florida, will join its sister ship, the Big M II, which offers casino cruises from the Little River shoreline in Horry County, South Carolina, starting July 2. The Big M I will help handle additional summer business from Myrtle Beach and surrounding areas, returning to Florida at the end of the summer season. The Big M II will continue to operate year-round.
Big M Casino purchased the SunCruz Casino property, located adjacent to the Big M operation, for $2 million last August, after the Horry County Council agreed to settle for $484,272 of the $700,000 SunCruz owed in boarding fees, under a 2008 ordinance requiring casino boats to pay $7 per passenger. Prior to the purchase, the county council voted to extend the collection of boarding fees from 2018 to 2025 after Big M announced a “substantial financial investment” was forthcoming. Horry County Attorney Arrigo Carotti said Big M requested the extension before purchasing SunCruz.
A job fair will be held this week to fill positions on the Big M I.
