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Florida Casino Boat Sues Competitor for Damages

"For the first time, Paradise of Port Richey, the incumbent gambling boat operation, has filed a lawsuit directly against their new competitor Stardancer Casino Cruises. Paradise, in a lawsuit filed Wednesday, claims Stardancer is damaging the river bottom with its shuttle boats and asks a judge to stop it from sailing shuttle boats.

"The lawsuit is the first aimed directly at Stardancer and the second filed in as many weeks by Paradise trying to stop Stardancer. On July 27, Paradise sued the city of Port Richey for denying Paradise's request that the city delay Stardancer's building permits while Paradise appealed. That lawsuit aims to stop Stardancer from building its parking lots and waiting area.

"…The lawsuit filed Wednesday claims that Stardancer's two shuttle boats, which started taking passengers to the gambling boat in international waters last week, are churning up the bottom of the river, damaging plant life, diminishing water quality and violating state law.

"…Merritt Mitchell, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said Thursday that regulators are `working with Stardancer' to avoid any propeller dredging, but no orders have been issued.

"…Paradise's lawsuit also names former Port Richey City Council member Ron Barnett, owner of Joshua's Landing, who is leasing the property to Stardancer. Paradise says that Barnett went after Paradise for damaging the bottom of the river.

"Since April, when dredging equipment brought in to Joshua's Landing on Bayview Street announced Stardancer's arrival, the two companies have been embroiled in a business war on all fronts.

"…The reason there is so much of a fight is because the stakes between the two are high, higher so for Paradise.

"Some industry experts estimate that net revenues for these `cruises to nowhere' average about $60-million per boat per year from admissions, gaming revenues, retail, food and beverage and entertainment sales. After expenses, earnings before taxes are estimated at $25-million per year…"

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