  Maximal and non-maximal supergravities in three dimensions allow for a large
variety of semisimple (Chern-Simons) gauge groups. In this paper, we analyze
non-semisimple and complex gauge groups that satisfy the pertinent consistency
relations for a maximal (N=16) gauged supergravity to exist. We give a general
procedure how to generate non-semisimple gauge groups from known admissible
semisimple gauge groups by a singular boost within E_{8(8)}. Examples include
the theories with gauge group SO(8) x T_{28} that describe the reduction of
IIA/IIB supergravity on the seven-sphere. In addition, we exhibit two `strange
embeddings' of the complex gauge group SO(8,C) into (real) E_{8(8)} and prove
that both can be consistently gauged. We discuss the structure of the
associated scalar potentials as well as their relation to those of D>3 gauged
supergravities.
