They like to do things big in Malaysia. In 1998, they built the Petronas Towers, the tallest buildings in the world at the time. Now they’re working on what promises to be the biggest “floating casino” in the world. According to a report in Saturday’s edition of The Sun Daily, Podiumspot Capital Group will start construction this April, with the project expected to take three years to complete.
It’s an ambitious project to say the least. The “Crusino” will be nearly 1,000 feet long with 1,330 staterooms and a capacity of 3,200 passengers, checking in at a cost of around $560 million. There will be two casino decks, filled with slots and table games, plus a sportsbook, restaurants, shopping outlets, and all the other comforts you’ll normally find on shore. They’ll even have special TVs in the cabins so you can gamble without leaving your room.
On the Waterfront
But will the Crusino really be the largest floating casino in the world? That depends on your definition. At press time, the largest cruise ship of any kind is the MS Harmony of the Seas, at just under 1,200 feet in length with room for up to 6,780 passengers. They have a casino, too; naturally, it’s called Casino Royale. However, the casino is not the centerpiece of the ship itself.
Then you have the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Mississippi. This waterfront casino resort, which first opened in 1999, is actually on the water – although most of the building, including the hotel, is on land. The casino itself was built on barges so it would comply with the laws that were in place at the time.
There are other gigantic “floating casinos” out there in the world, some on board cruise ships, some like the Beau Rivage. Suffice to say the Crusino should be the biggest in its class if and when it launches in April 2020. But will it match the ambience of the greatest floating casino of all-time: the original Macau Palace, which appeared in the 1974 James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun?