Island Breeze Casino setting sail with Jamie Gold as their Ambassador

Three weeks ago, Island Breeze Casino executives unveiled their refurbished gambling ship through a March 15th soft launch. Now, they’re ready to go full-sail and offer Palm Beach, Florida visitors the gaming experience of a lifetime.

Island Breeze figures to be a hit because it’s the only place in Palm Beach County where people can enjoy the mix of craps, roulette, slots and sports betting. The reason why is because Island Breeze sails from the Port of Palm Beach into international waters.

This cruise ship is hoping to succeed where so many others have failed. As reported by the Sun Sentinel, the SunCruz (2007), SeaEscape (2008), Palm Beach Princess (early 2010), Discovery (2011), and the Black Diamond (2013), which was Island Breeze’s predecessor, were quickly sunk. And the reason why is because Florida’s Seminole Indian tribe built a casino gaming empire that’s wiped out most of the competition in the Sunshine State.

Before the Black Diamond was resurrected as Island Breeze, Genting’s Bimini SuperFast has been the only cruise ship to stay afloat since the Seminoles took over. Due to the wide-open cruise gambling market, Bradley T. Prader saw an opportunity when the Black Diamond closed up. He purchased the boat and spent $3 million renovating it, changing everything from the dim lighting to drab decor. “We said, ‘We could get it up and running quickly,’ but we didn’t cut a single corner,” Prader told the Sun Sentinel.

One of the most exciting things that Prader did during the renovation process was enclose the third floor, turning it into a poker and party room. This floor is where visitors will find 2006 WSOP Main Event champion Jamie Gold, who’s been hired as an ambassador for the casino. Gold’s role will be to mingle with customers and play poker with them too. “Jamie is an attraction and he does have a following,” Prader says. “He’s a great addition to our team.”

Besides featuring Gold, another perk that Island Breeze will offer is free drinks. Florida’s racinos aren’t legally allowed to give out free drinks, while Seminole casinos only do so for high rollers. “We’re willing to give things to get people here,” Prader explains. “The people here are very discerning, and we need to offer a product in line with the market.”

Island Breeze will be sailing out twice every day, embarking on five-hour stints each time. Those wanting to board the ship need only pay $10 to sail out in international waters.