When people book cruise vacations, they often think of fine dining, ocean views, and island stops. But tucked away on many of these ships is a full-blown casino, offering slot machines, poker tables, roulette wheels, and more. These floating casinos feel just like ones on land, but they run by a different set of rules. Some players even prefer them for their relaxing setting and unique experience. Another good news is that some ships provide internet with which you can access Hellspin.
How Cruise Casinos Really Work
Most cruise ship casinos are only open when the cruise ship is at sea and is considered outside of national waters. The cruising laws per country dictate this action as a cruise ship cannot operate a casino anywhere that the national laws consider to be on land. To avoid any violations of land-based laws countries have, the casino waits until the ship is in international waters, usually 12 nautical miles from land. As soon as the ship hits international waters, the doors are open, the lights are on, and the machines start paying. For cruise lines, it’s a nice little grey area where they can legally offer casino games without the constraints of land-based casinos.
The Hidden House Edge at Sea
Many people think equal odds happen onboard cruises as opposed to land-based casinos, but that is not the case for every vessel. In fact, cruise ships slot machines typically have a bigger house edge as the payout percentages are usually lower than land-based machines. Cruise lines know that the odds may be tighter, as they know that guests have a lack of options once they board the ship. They know, you are not going to take a walk down the street to get a better deal or odds. In some cases, they don’t even have to post payout percentages on the vessel, so the pay is all because you are playing blind. To give yourself the best opportunity to win money, at least in a casino on a cruise ship, is to stick with table games, where the game rules are more transparent.
What You Can and Can’t Do
There are a few rules passengers often don’t know about. For starters, the casino usually accepts only the ship’s onboard currency or your room card, which is linked to your account. That means you don’t use regular cash at the tables. Also, most cruise casinos do not allow locals to gamble when the ship is docked at certain ports, even if the casino is open. Cameras watch every move just like on land, and cheating or causing trouble will get you kicked off the ship at the next stop.
Loyalty Programs and FreebiesLoyalty programs are common in cruise casinos. Frequent players will earn points for every dollar they gamble. Those points can be used for free drinks, discounts on the cruise, and/or credits toward future cruises. However, there is a catch to the point rewards. You will need to gamble considerable amounts of money to garner points that can be redeemed for any reasonable reward. The system is in place to drive gambling, not to provide financial wealth to players. Nonetheless, players who enjoy casual gaming, getting points may be a fun perk to your vacation.
If you plan to gamble on your cruise, remember it is entertainment and not a means to riches. Plan to lose some money and stick to that plan. More often than not, table games like blackjack will offer you better odds than electronic slot machines.