Princess Cruises Will Be the First to Allow Sports Betting at Sea

Princess Cruises Sportsbook

It became official Wednesday that Princess Cruises will be adding onboard sports wagering to its list of services. When riding under the MedallionClass of ship, you will now have access to onboard sports betting at sea.

Princess Cruises will be operating under its own brand of sportsbook named Princess’ Ocean Sportsbook and will be offered through an application. The betting will be legal whenever the ship is in international waters or docked at locations where sports betting is legal. However, when docked at those places, Princess Cruises will need to get licensed or find some arrangement to continue to let passengers place wagers.

Using the online mobile app, you will be able to bet anywhere on the ship.

What Kind of Betting Will be Allowed?

According to Princess Cruises’ statements, it does not seem like this will be some gimmick of a sportsbook. They intend to offer a full slate of professional leagues, including the NFL, NBA, and more. They even explicitly state college sports and events that will be up for wagering.

With no sports betting laws or regulations at sea, it will be interesting to see what kind of offerings the cruise line has. The odds pricing could be all over the place as there is really no governing body that will be telling this sportsbook what to do.

The only restriction is that the Miami Heat are not able to be wagered on, as a significant figure for Princess Cruises, Micky Arison, is the owner of the Miami Heat. However, other NBA events will be on the table.

You also will be allowed to place future bets, which means that events that will finish after the completion of the cruise are still able to be wagered on.

Is this a Fad or the Future?

Sports betting has become massive in America as several states legalized. Many experts predict that over half the American populous will be able to bet on sports by the end of 2022, in their respective states.

There are two ways to look at that information. The first is that sports betting is becoming normalized and a cruise ship offering a sportsbook is a plus as it will become a part of many people’s lives. However, you can also look at it as there is still half the population in the United States who will be looking to bet on sports, and doing so on vacation with Princess Cruises may be a perfect time to bet.

These are both extreme positives for the cruise. However, what will ultimately make or break this idea is the quality of the sportsbook. If the app runs well, the odds pricing is good, and the options to watch sports on the cruise are plentiful, then I see no reason why it will not be a huge selling point. On the other hand, these are big ifs.

A sportsbook is not something easy to run and operate, and if Princess Cruises does not invest a lot into creating a great user experience, then bettors will quickly be turned off to the idea, and it will become a moot point for those looking to travel.