Today, cruise ships are not just means of transportation, but huge platforms with all the necessary conditions for recreation and entertainment. Many ships that go on long voyages have casinos. In such facilities, players not only try their luck, but also have fun.
More about the features of casinos based on sea transport, further in the article.
Casinos on ships: what are their main features?
Gambling began to be organized on ships back in the days when there were no airplanes, and it was possible to cross the ocean only with the help of ships. Then such a vacation could afford only rich people. Thanks to the active development of the cruise industry today sea travel has become available to people with different incomes.
The popularity of cruises and the high demand for gambling led to the fact that nowadays casinos are opened not only on huge passenger liners, but also on smaller ships – yachts and even sailing ships.
Modern gambling establishments based on sea transport, in many respects similar to land-based casinos. https://www.bestcasinosincanada.net/ there are a variety of gambling games and comfortable conditions for spending time. In terms of service gambling platforms on ships are also not inferior to land-based gambling platforms. Despite this, such casinos have several features.
Gambling establishments on ships pay less taxes
By locating gambling establishments on ships, entrepreneurs save themselves from the high taxes imposed on gambling business in many countries. When a ship is in neutral waters, it is subject to the laws of the state whose flag it flies. That is why many liners are registered in offshore zones, such as Bermuda. When a ship arrives in a port where gambling is prohibited or regulated by local laws, the casino closes. This allows entrepreneurs to avoid fines.
The assortment of gambling games depends on
passengers’ preferences
Available list of games offered by casinos, depends on the preferences of tourists and may differ depending on the route. For example, Americans like to play poker and craps, while Asians like to play baccarat. Taking into account the tastes of its passengers, casinos form an assortment of available games. That’s why it often happens that there are fewer gaming tables on the ships than the entertainment presented. This is due to the fact that casinos allow gamblers to determine which games they prefer.
Accessibility of gambling for tourists from the countries where gambling is forbidden
There are countries where gambling is prohibited by law. One of them is China. Despite the restrictions, this kind of entertainment is popular among the locals. So for many Chinese, a trip on a cruise ship is a good opportunity to visit a gambling establishment. Cruise operators take this into account and give Chinese tourists this chance. However, when the ship is in Chinese waters, the casino closes and stops accepting customers.
In the future, some companies are planning to sail liners, whose passengers will be only citizens of China.
The benefits of casinos on cruise ships
Despite their similarities to land-based casinos, gambling establishments based on ships have the following advantages:
- Openness to guests. The casino can be visited by any passenger of the liner, even those who do not intend to participate in gambling. The main thing is that he has reached the required age. In some institutions entrance is allowed only to persons over 18 years of age, others may visit the gambling areas for people at least 21 years old. In addition, the premises of many casinos can be photographed, which is not the case in most establishments located on the ground;
- floating stakes. This figure depends on the demand for seaside travel. In the high season, the minimum bet increases and in the low season, the minimum bet decreases in order to attract more customers;
- Educational lectures for beginners and incentives for experienced players. On cruise ships, visitors can rest tourists who are not familiar with gambling, but want to try their luck in the casino. Especially for these travelers, they spend training sessions, during which experts tell guests about the rules of various gambling games. For regular customers implement a system of incentives;
- Availability of a large choice of slot machines. Slot machines remain one of the most popular gambling entertainment worldwide. That’s why slot machines are present in most of the casinos set up on ships;
- Lucky chips to attract players. Some companies, in order to interest customers, give away free chips to passengers, which can be used for betting on gaming tables.
Top 3 cruise ships with casinos
Today, gambling establishments operate on ships of different sizes and classes. Here is a look at three of the most famous and popular of them.
- Ruby Princess
This cruise ship was built in 2008. It is 290 meters long and has 1530 cabins that can accommodate a total of 3,672 passengers. During the voyage, the ship makes stops at ports in Canada, USA, Australia, Mexico, New Zealand and so on.
The liner has restaurants, bars, swimming pool, conference hall, sports complex, beauty salon, tennis court, library, cinema, church, spa, nightclub and of course the Gatsby’s casino. The gambling establishment offers a wide selection of slot machines, including progressive jackpots, as well as poker and other table games.
- Queen Mary 2
This is an ocean liner that has been plowing the seas since 2004. It is 345 meters long and has 1296 cabins on board. Overall, it can hold over 3,000 passengers. The ship sails annually from Southampton to New York.
The ship is equipped with the Empire Casino. Among the available gambling attractions are slot machines, roulette and card games.
There are also restaurants, bars, a gallery, bookstore, spa, nightclub, planetarium, ballroom, theater, etc.
- Crystal Serenity
The liner was built in 2003. It is 250 meters long and 32.2 meters wide. The ship can accommodate 1072 passengers.
On board the ship is a Crystal casino. The range of gambling games includes roulette, craps, baccarat, blackjack, Texas Hold’em and slot machines.
In addition, the liner has swimming pools, restaurants, cafes, bars, stores, fitness center, bathhouse, movie theater, and other places for recreation and entertainment.