Online Gambling Driving Cruise Ship Industry to Port

But casino gambling is the engine driving the cruise industry, and if changes aren't made to keep gambling patrons interested in booking trips, cruise ships might be in the same boat as Atlantic City.

The cruise ship business is a multi-billion dollar industry driven by gambling. Now, as online casinos put gambling in the convenience of people's homes, the operators of cruise ship lines are trying to find ways to keep passengers coming aboard, including allowing wagering while still in port.

Typically, gambling on cruises begins after the ship passes outside the three-mile limit. Some ships have traditionally even run on routes known as cruises to nowhere, voyages in circles just far enough from land to permit legal casino gambling.

But the decline in bookings for cruises reflects not only the economic difficulties facing many today, but also the fact that gambling entertainment can be found at home at online casinos, or at local racinos and Native American casinos, without troubling with long deporting waits and expensive boarding charges.

According to a report at MSNBC, authorities at Port Canaveral, Florida, are considering allowing cruise ships to host gambling without ever leaving port. Like permanently moored riverboats and barge casinos that never move, some ships may opt to tie up and act as casinos that just happen to float.

It might not be enough to curb the decline in passenger listings. Paula Barnes, a personal assistant from Orlando, says, "I used to book cruises all the time. But three-quarters of my fun was playing slots and gambling. I can do that these days without leaving my house, and save a bunch of money as well."

Exotic locations, sun, sea, and getting away from it all may have appeal. But casino gambling is the engine driving the cruise industry, and if changes aren't made to keep gambling patrons interested in booking trips, cruise ships might be in the same boat as Atlantic City.