A former casino riverboat that operated in Indiana along the Ohio River for more than a decade is set to become the largest artificial reef off Alabama’s Gulf Coast, per a recent report. Alabama Marine Resources told the local CBS News affiliate in the state that a former riverboat casino that has been docked for years at the Bayou La Batre City Docks is being prepped for sinking. The BLB City Docks, located west of Mobile Bay just east of the Louisiana border, are home to two former riverboat casinos. State officials say the larger former gaming vessel is slated to become an artificial reef. “I’m thinking by October this thing will be on the same floor,” said Robert Akridge, who has been leading the dismantling of the four-story floating casino for about a month.
For this article, SBS will be going over the latest gaming news coming from the state of Alabama, along with some additional notes and information coming from SBS.
As noted in the same article, the riverboat relocation has been going well at this point and points to some new progress from there. “Our job is to gut it out and make it an iron shell to put at the bottom of the sea floor,” Akridge said in the article. Additionally, another marine specialist weighed in on the new development in Alabama, too. “If our marine resources can execute an agreement to turn one of the barges into a reef, that would be our goal,” added Russell Rigby of Alabama Marine Resources. “We have been working hard towards that goal, and we think we are going to be able to make it happen.”
The boat that Akridge and his team were preparing to sink was the Argosy Casino Lawrenceburg. The floating casino opened in December 1996 and remained on the Ohio Riverbank in Lawrenceburg, roughly 15 air miles west of downtown Cincinnati, until 2009, when Penn Entertainment swapped it out for a much larger barge. Penn Entertainment, which was Penn National Gaming at the time, overhauled its Indiana property into Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg.
In 2008, the Argosy Lawrenceburg’s last full year in operation, the riverboat welcomed more than 1.7 million people. The facility had 76 table games and 2,500 slot machines. The Argosy, however, remained in the Ohio River for nearly a decade after its slot machines were powered down. Penn finally sold and shipped the shuttered boat in January 2018 to the BLB City Docks.
Per the same article, last month, the Mobile County Commission awarded $24.4 million for the BLB City Docks. The major renovation project includes built-up docks and boat slips, beautification, a paved surface parking lot, and wider streets. The federal funding comes through the 2012 RESTORE Act, which was in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in April 2010.
“The Deepwater Horizon spill was devastating to Bayou La Batre. This project is exactly what makes what the RESTORE Act was meant to deliver: long-term, visible recovery where it’s needed most. Thanks to federal, state, and local collaboration, the City of Bayou La Batre’s working waterfront will be reborn as a sustainable engine for Alabama’s seafood industry.” Chris Blankenship, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
As noted in the same report, over the years, the two former casino riverboats in Bayou La Batre have broken loose during storms. Most recently, in June 2023, both vessels caused damage to nearby piers and bait shops. The BLB City Docks project will prevent that from happening in the future, as the docks will be more secure, and the larger, former Argosy will likely be sunk. Artificial reefs provide habitat and shelter for marine life and promote biodiversity. Additionally, they also support fishing and provide coastal protection.
Indeed with all of these new enhancements to the Alabama casino riverboat gaming scene, it is exciting to see how these gambling locales have been enhanced and changed over time in the state. Of course, while Alabama is known for these riverboat casinos since the early days of the state, it is interesting to see how they can be repurposed over time and can be utilized for various purposes other than just gaming in the area and region. Additionally, for those who are interested in how these vessels change and develop, make sure to peruse the other additional reports on the web. These developments show how gaming establishments can really become part of the fabric of the region they inhabit.
After you are all up to speed in relation to the latest gambling updates coming from the Cotton State, make sure to peruse the excellent array of information available to you at SBS. Of course, for additional notes and info regarding the state in question, the sports betting in Alabama guide is an awesome resource that covers the latest in the state. Additionally, for those interested in some new outlets, the BetOnline sportsbook review rundown is an excellent page for eligible customers. Here you can find out more about this online sportsbook and whether it might make sense for you. Finally, for those looking to diversify their payment options, the payment methods breakdown is a fantastic outlet. This includes everything from traditional banking routes to newer options like cryptocurrencies.
About the Author
Chris Boline is a Reno-based business development professional and freelance sports writer with over a decade of experience covering the NBA G League, Los Angeles Chargers, and national football and basketball. His expertise spans the NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and motorsports, along with topical news, marketing, and promotional content. A proud University of Nevada graduate, Chris earned both his BS in Management & Economics (2015) and MBA (2023). He is active in the Reno community, serving on boards such as the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET, and the College of Business Alumni Association, where he was past president (2022–23). Notable honors include: - Two-time University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year honoree (2017, 2021) - 2021 NCET Professional Services Organization of the Year (with TAC) - 2016–17 Reno Bighorns MVP, awarded by the Sacramento Kings - Nevada Press Association Award for Best Sports Column (2015) - Former Editor-in-Chief of The Nevada Sagebrush Chris blends his passion for sports with a strong background in sales, marketing, and community engagement.
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