Measure Gets Subcommittee Nod

A bill banning gaming "cruises to nowhere" received unanimous approval from a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee. The measure, known as the Gambling Cruise Prohibition Act, would prohibit casino gaming on any voyage that begins and ends in South Carolina, "during which the vessel does not make an intervening stop within the boundaries of another state or possession of the U.S. or a foreign country." The purpose of the bill, as stated in its first section, is to "clearly and unequivocally…prohibit gambling activities on so-called 'cruises to nowhere' as provided in 15 U.S.C. 1175." General Bill 4491 explicitly applies to all vessels, regardless of registry, and offers no exclusion for the large Carnival Cruise Lines ships that call on Charleston.