Casinos denied stay on tax data County can go on with plan for levy

Horry County can move ahead with a plan to tax the state's only two casino boats after a state administrative law judge denied a request for a stay Thursday.

It was the second legal loss in a month for SunCruz Casinos, which operates a gambling boat in Little River.

The company was ordered in July to file monthly reports with the state Department of Revenue showing winnings from each game table and gambling machine on its boat.

SunCruz asked Chief Administrative Law Judge Marvin Kittrell to suspend the ruling while it appealed. That motion was denied Thursday.

Sun Cruz officials couldn't be reached for comment late Thursday.

The reports to the Department of Revenue will allow Horry County to create a tax on the gambling boats, County Attorney John Weaver said.

The county is not a party to the lawsuit, which is between the Department of Revenue and Sun Cruz. Danny Brazell, spokesman for the revenue department, said Thursday the agency had no comment.

A tax ordinance will likely be introduced in the next couple of weeks and must be approved by County Council.

The council voted in May to tax the boats instead of using a recently passed S.C. law that allows a ban.

Meanwhile, the SunCruz appeal -- and possible another attempt at a stay -will continue to work through the court system, Weaver said.

"Now that they have been denied [a stay] at this level ... they can now, if they choose to do so, they can ask the next court up the line," Weaver said. "My guess is they won't be successful at any level."