Cruise Lines Are Making a Smoking Casino Policy U-Turn
Over 70 countries have ‘smoke-free’ policies covering all indoor places. In 2004, Ireland became the first country in the world to ban smoking in workplaces, restaurants and bars. The island nation also legalised betting shops 35 years ahead of the UK. In 1961, their opening in the British Isles was considered a landmark move.
However, Ireland lags behind its neighbour in the casino industry. Roulette wheels have been legally spinning in the UK since the 1960s. The Emerald Isle still needs legislation for casinos to be put in place. Instead, those who like a flutter on the gaming tables can only do so in a private members club.
Double zero roulette wheels are commonplace onboard cruise ships where slot RTP (return to player) percentages are unlikely to be displayed. ©MSC
One place where smoking and gambling do not fall under regulation, authority or a law of any kind is the world’s seas and oceans. Once a vessel is more than 12 miles off a country’s coast, it is considered to be on the high seas and, therefore, in international waters.
Here, legal requirements are replaced by cruise line operator rules. For smokers and gamblers, significant changes have recently been made, but more is needed. Here, we will look at recent progress but also what is wrong with casino gambling on cruise ships.
Sympathizing With Non-Smokers on the Seas
Since the end of 2023, Royal Caribbean International – the largest cruise line by revenue and second-largest by passenger counts – has offered smoke-free casinos on all its five Oasis-Class liners, the world’s largest cruise ships.
In December 2023, the Symphony of the Seas joined the Oasis of the Seas, the Allure of the Seas, the Harmony of the Seas and the Wonder of the Seas as ships offering the opportunity to gamble without cigarette smoke making an unwelcome appearance.
It converted an onboard Jazz Club into a casino area situated close to Symphony of the Seas existing ‘Casino Royale’ on Deck 4. 2,500 square feet in size, the new dedicated ‘smoke-free’ casino area boasts 46 slot machines, three gaming tables and cashier’s window.
Cooking on Gas, Smoking on Fumes
Europe-based MSC Cruises has also added smoke-free casino spaces to some of its vessels. At 170,000 tonnes, the MSC Seascape and the MSC Seashore are amongst MSC’s biggest ships, and both have recently installed a non-smoking casino area close to their sports bars.
According to Cruise Industry News, MSC, which currently operates 23 ships, has now taken an even more significant step by making the Red Gem Casino onboard the MSC Virtuosa a smoke-free zone. The MSC Signature Casino aboard the liquid gas-powered MSC Euribia is a second liner that no longer permits smoking. And other cruise companies – such as Holland America Line and Carnival Cruise Line – have recently made similar moves.
The big question is, why are cruise operators changing their smoking policy? One suspects it is a commercial decision as opposed to concerns about the threat caused by passive smoking. According to data compiled by Eurostat, 19.7 percent of the EU population smokes daily. Therefore, 60 percent or more of the general population likely prefers to spend its leisure time in a cigarette-fume-free environment.
Why Are Ship Casinos in the Middle?
It is predicted over two million people from the UK and Ireland will take a cruise holiday in 2024. With food, drink and tips included in most people’s packages, these captive cruisers have few places to spend their cash. The ‘smoke-free’ (or otherwise) onboard casino comes to the rescue.
Typically located in the centre of ships – where tourists must walk through them several times daily to reach activities, bars and restaurants – they are plush and luring. However, they are also unregulated, allowing operators to exploit their customers beyond established parameters.
Roulette layouts will be American-style, as double-zero roulette wheels are far more profitable for casinos. That may be reasonable, but an uncharacteristically small difference between minimum and maximum stakes makes it difficult for players to recoup losses. It favours a scenario of small but irreversible gradual losses.
Highway Robbery on the High Seas?
Blackjack tables featuring unconventional rules such as ‘no double downs after splits’, ‘double downs on 9’s, 10’s and 11’s only’, dealers’ hitting on soft 17’s’ and 6/5 odds on a ‘blackjack’ are other rules that cruise ships can implement to increase profits.
Alternatively, table games like Pontoon, Caribbean Stud, and Three Card Poker will be readily available – as they give the house an even bigger edge. But it is in the slot machine halls where players are unwittingly contributing heavily to cruise line profits.
Whereas the Las Vegas slots typically offer a return-to-player of 95 percent, and the best online slots average 98 percent, on cruise ships slots can, and often are, dialled down to return less than 75 percent of their take to players.
And finally, unlike online casino players, holidaymakers can incur a processing fee when using a payment card to buy gaming chips. Furthermore, an additional three percent charge may be incurred when returning winnings back to a payment card or bank account.
