They may be smaller than the ones in Las Vegas, but cruise ship casinos mirror what’s found on land in terms of rules and the training required for dealers. Cruise lines make sure they’re offering the latest and most popular slots and table games, including penny video slots and the ever popular blackjack. Here’s what you need to know to improve your odds, at least of having fun:
Apr 14, 2015 When one does pop up claiming the slot machines are rigged or games are fixed, more readers give examples that they are not. The increasing numbers of repeat high rollers show that the cruise casinos are at least on par with land casinos as far as being legitimate and fair.
1. Casinos close while in port.
If you plan to spend a lot of time in the ship’s casino, choose an itinerary with a lot of sea days. With a few exceptions — including overnight in Bermuda and Nassau ports — cruise ship casinos are required to remain closed when the ship is in port so as not to compete with local gambling or entertainment businesses. In Bermuda, casinos on ships can operate from 9 pm to 5 am, and in Nassau, from 7 pm to 3 am.
2. Ship casinos are open in international waters.
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Casinos are typically only open 3 to 12 nautical miles from the coast. However, in the case of Alaska, cruise ship casinos are permitted to open 3 miles after departing from one Alaska port until 3 miles before arriving in the next Alaska port, regardless of proximity to land. That’s good for gamblers, as cruises in southeast Alaska tend to hug the coastline.
3. Smoking is part of the game.
Though there are fewer places to smoke on cruise ships than ever before, casinos are one of the last holdouts. Most cruise ship casinos, with the exception of the luxury lines, have designated smoking areas for cigarette smokers; however, cigar lovers are rarely permitted to light up.
4. Card sharks are a rare species at sea.
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Professional gamblers tend to focus their energies on the land-based casinos that are open around the clock, without the distractions of a cruise — from buffets to deck parties and those pesky ports of call. Plus, according to Paul Jarvis, vice president of casino operations for Carnival Corp., card sharks seek anonymity, and passengers need to provide the cruise line with their passport details before boarding.
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5. Gambling theme cruises offer real competition for top players.
If you really want to double down on your gaming ops at sea, some cruise lines — including Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line — host blackjack, slots, and poker tournaments that attract hundreds of gaming enthusiasts. Qualifying rounds are held on cruises throughout the year, with the final competition taking place toward the end of the year.
QUESTION: You've stated that casinos are regulated to make sure that slot machines are random and honest. Who regulates the casino slot machines on cruise ships? — Phillip W.
ANSWER: Cruise ship gambling came about with the 1991 Cruise Ship Competitiveness Act, which gave U.S. ships the opportunity to offer games once they hit international waters.
The gambling laws for land-based casinos are clear. It is far more difficult to know who is setting and enforcing the laws at sea. There is an organization called the International Council of Cruise Lines that offers some regulatory control. Unfortunately, it's nowhere near the level of the control exercised over U.S. land-based casinos. Cruise ships operate in international waters and are not bound by land-based casino regulations.
If you happen to have a dispute, you won't likely find an ICCL agent on board. Your alternative is to speak to the casino manager, or, if you're still not satisfied, bring your concern to the attention of the hotel manager. Those are pretty much your resolution options.
Regulations or not, lack of competition gives casinos little reason to cheat the captive masses. Competition is what raises slot payoffs. On the open water, cruise ships have no competition, just a confined audience. The casino knows you're a one-timer on a holiday and that your pockets are full of cash. It isn't looking for repeat business because you're probably never coming back.
As a one-time player, you can plan on a bruising when cruising when it comes to paybacks on slot machines. The payback percentages, at best, are awful.
I would recommend avoiding playing slot machines aboard cruise ships. There are plenty of other activities to enjoy besides pulling handles. Come to think of it, the yanking motion required to use the elliptical trainers aboard most ships is similar to playing a one-armed bandit.
Q: Does a slot machine know the amount of money deposited at the start of play? If so, does that have any bearing on the payout? — Bev G.
A: Yes, Bev, a software program that runs on a slot machine knows exactly how much money you have put in. It needs to know how many credits you have involved on the next spin in order to light the Bet Max button and any of the other options the machine has.
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As for your final results, the amount of money deposited has no effect on the random number generator, and the machine doesn't care how many credits you have remaining, have played or are playing on the next spin. Many gaming jurisdictions have specific regulations stating that the random number generator can have no influence whatsoever on the number of coins played.
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Mark Pilarski is a contributing editor for numerous gambling publications. E-mail questions to pilarski@markpilarski.com.