Published on: December 18, 2024, 04:55h.
Last updated on: December 18, 2024, 04:55h.
It’s the end of an era for the Emerald Queen, the Mississippi-style paddlewheel riverboat that was, for a quarter of a century, a familiar sight in the port of Tacoma, Wash. The elegant 300-foot former gambling palace was towed away to Seattle on Thursday.
The Emerald Queen was sold last year to Spectral Crane and Marine, a Seattle-based equipment rental company of barges and marine assets, according to a statement from the Puyallup Tribal Council at the time. The future purpose of the vessel is currently unknown.
The Puyallup tribe operated the riverboat, which was moored at the Blair Waterway on the Tacoma waterfront, as a casino from 1997 to 2004.
Spectral Crane and Marine’s owner Boyer Halverson informed The Tacoma News Tribune that plans for the boat are not yet finalized, but there is a possibility of converting it into a barge. Financial details of the vessel’s sale remain undisclosed.
Classic Paddlewheel
The tribe acquired the Emerald Queen for $15 million. Constructed in 1995 by a shipyard in Louisiana, the vessel emulated the style of classic paddlewheel boats that navigated the Mississippi River in the 19th century.
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in the late 1980s provided opportunities for Native Americans to establish casinos on their reservations. As the Puyallup community’s reservation included part of the Tacoma waterfront, they opted for a riverboat casino.
In states like Louisiana and Missouri, floating casinos were mandatory, but they were a novelty in Washington.
The Emerald Queen played a crucial role in promoting economic self-sufficiency for the Puyallup tribe. In 2004, the tribe collaborated with the Port of Tacoma to close down the riverboat for further commercial developments along the waterway.
Puyallup Gaming Expansion
In exchange, the Puyallups received approval to construct a physical Emerald Queen Casino in nearby Fife, which opened later that year. In 2020, the tribe inaugurated a larger Emerald Queen venue in Tacoma.
The tribe retained the original Emerald Queen for 19 years before its sale last year, maintaining it in pristine condition. The broker handling the transaction confirmed the vessel’s excellent upkeep.
“The riverboat served our Tribe well and laid the foundation for us to open and operate the two premier casinos in the Northwest,” stated the Puyallup Tribal Council.