Gambling Boat Busted For Super Bowl Poker Tournament
POSTED: Thursday, February 3, 2005
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A casino ship operator offering Super Bowl visitors the chance to play high-stakes poker without leaving downtown was arrested Thursday morning.
Vice-squad detectives with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and investigators with the State Attorney's Office arrested Thomas O'Donnell of Indiatlantic, Fla., aboard the Star Dancer IV, which is moored near Talleyrand.Authorities looked into complaints of illegal gambling aboard the ship after Coin Castle Casinos, which is affiliated with the Star Dancer IV, began advertising on its Web site and on local radio station that it would be holding a "Texas hold'em" poker tournament with a grand prize of $20,000 during Super Bowl week."Operating a gambling house" and "operating a cardroom" are third-degree felonies, punishable by up to five years in prison.Officials with the U.S. Coast Guard accompanied investigators as they boarded the ship Thursday morning to look for operational and safety violations.
Copyright 2005 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Vice-squad detectives with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and investigators with the State Attorney's Office arrested Thomas O'Donnell of Indiatlantic, Fla., aboard the Star Dancer IV, which is moored near Talleyrand.Authorities looked into complaints of illegal gambling aboard the ship after Coin Castle Casinos, which is affiliated with the Star Dancer IV, began advertising on its Web site and on local radio station that it would be holding a "Texas hold'em" poker tournament with a grand prize of $20,000 during Super Bowl week."Operating a gambling house" and "operating a cardroom" are third-degree felonies, punishable by up to five years in prison.Officials with the U.S. Coast Guard accompanied investigators as they boarded the ship Thursday morning to look for operational and safety violations.Copyright 2005 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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