BUSINESS MEMO: A FINAL CAINO CRUISE

The Silver Eagle Casino took its final cruise last week as the company that owns the riverboat cut its losses and shut it down.

That brings an end, for now, to riverboat gambling in Jo Daviess County, Ill.

HP Inc., made the announcement Tuesday, two days before the company's gaming license expired. The boat's last hourlong cruise was held Wednesday.

HP did not protest the gaming board's decision last month not to renew the boat's gaming license. Attendance and revenue at the East Dubuque riverboat had been plummeting. In May, only 5,100 patrons visited the boat, with adjusted gross receipts fo only $131,000.

The operation had been closed much of 1996.

This leaves Illinois with nine riverboat operations.

Illinois gaming operations attracted 2.2 million visitors in May, with total adjusted gross receipts of $92.8 million.