Tri-Cities Needs this Iconic PNW Floating Casino and It’s for Sale

It took $15 million dollars to build the Emerald Queen back in 1995 and 26 years later it’s up for sale for $4.9 million.  The Emerald Queen Casino that most of us know near Tacoma actually began as the Emerald Queen Riverboat Casino that was purchased by the Puyallup Tribe and docked at the Port of Tacoma.

The original Emerald Queen was in operation on the Blair Waterway from the mid-90s through 2005.  The boat ceased being a casino after the tribe constructed the new massive 310,000 square foot facility in Fife, Washington.

The Emerald Queen Paddle Boat is 224 feet and has two Cummins-built engines with 940hp each for a total of 1880ph and a top speed of 10 knots. The fuel tank itself holds 14,000 gallons – that’s at least a $55,000 fill-up. The vessel bridge clearance is 55ft, so it would likely clear the Blue Bridge and I-182 Bridge. The clearance below the Cable Bridge is 48ft, so that would be a problem the new Tri-Cities owner would have to address.

Paddlewheel cruise ships are commonplace on the Columbia River, adding a paddlewheel casino with a homeport in Tri-Cities could bring a lot of visitors and dollars to the area, but as we all know, it would take some very deep pockets to make this idea a reality. If you have the cash and want to know more about the boat, it’s listed for sale by Matt Palmer of nwyachtnet.com. Scroll down and take a gander and peek inside this massive boat and imagine it full of people and activity.