On Wednesday, July 1, a former riverboat casino that was once the biggest ship of its kind in the world was purposefully sunk off the coast of Alabama, starting a new life as the biggest artificial reef in the area.

Currently, the 408-foot-long Argosy VI is located 23 nautical miles south of Orange Beach, 122 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. By creating new habitat, shelter, and breeding grounds, the ship will increase marine biodiversity and the total number of fish, according to conservationists.

While docked on the Ohio River in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, the boat formerly supported a totally different kind of lifeform, drawing gamblers from Cincinnati, northern Kentucky, southeastern Indiana, and beyond.

Boom of Riverboats

Three years after the Indiana legislature approved the legalization of casino gaming, the Argosy Casino opened its doors in 1996. An previous, smaller casino vessel was replaced by the Argosy VI when it went into operation in 1997.

The Argosy VI was the focal point of a sizable entertainment complex that featured a 300-room hotel and dining options. It had 1,700 slot machines and about 75,000 square feet of gaming space distributed across three casino decks.

After Penn Entertainment purchased its operator, Argosy Gaming Company, in 2004, the new owner of the Argosy VI determined it would require a larger vessel.

After just 12 years of operation as a gaming vessel, the Argosy VI was retired to make room for a new riverboat that could accommodate 4,400 gaming seats and approximately 9,000 passengers. The new ship is still in use today as Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg.

Later, when the Marine Resources Division of the Alabama Conservation Department called, Alabama real estate developer Larry Wireman, who was negotiating to moor the boat at Key West in Florida, purchased Argosy VI.

In accordance with state standards for artificial reefs, the department paid Wireman $2.5 million for the boat, which included the price of disassembling it and removing any potentially dangerous components, including as its engines, plumbing, and electrical systems.

Ship Sinking

Preparing the Argosy VI for scuttling took more than a year. Seawater flooded the ship's hull on Wednesday morning after salvage workers removed wooden plugs from the stern.

The old casino vanished under the water in a matter of minutes, where corals, sponges, barnacles, fish, and other marine life are predicted to settle.

The ship will continue to attract tourists long after its days of entertaining gamblers have ended, according to state officials, as the reef will also offer a new location for recreational divers and fishers.