Royal Caribbean has recently joined the ranks of major cruise lines by introducing a mobile lottery game for its guests.
With the gaming industry experiencing a remarkable rise—about 61% of adults in North America reported gambling in the past year—this trend is influencing activities at sea. Leading cruise lines are expanding their casino offerings alongside introducing innovative games.
Royal Caribbean is now the latest entrant to the digital lottery arena. According to Royal Caribbean Blog, guests can now purchase digital scratch-off lottery tickets through the cruise line’s app, a service previously only available in the casinos.
The Royal Caribbean app serves as an essential tool for travelers, allowing for check-in, mobile boarding passes, and safety briefings. Once on board, the app facilitates upgrades, dining and entertainment reservations, and viewing the day’s itinerary.
Following Carnival, which launched Carnival Millions—a shared interactive lottery game with a $1 million daily jackpot—in February, Royal Caribbean has also jumped into the mobile lottery scene.
The new mobile lottery from Royal Caribbean features a variety of digital scratch-off tickets priced between $2 and $20, with the potential for winnings up to $100,000.
Winners receiving less than $2,000 will see their funds automatically credited to their Royal Caribbean account. However, for amounts exceeding $2,000, winners need to visit the Casino Royale to claim their prize and fill out a tax form.
Exploring Full iGaming Opportunities
When a cruise ship sails into international waters, it is permitted to operate its casino. Gambling regulations for cruise lines fall under the governance of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
CLIA guidelines mandate that cruise ship casinos comply with standards set forth by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, or those applicable to casinos in New Jersey or the UK. As iGaming is allowed in both New Jersey and the UK, cruise lines affiliated with CLIA could theoretically offer onboard iGaming once they are at sea.
Despite improvements in onboard Wi-Fi—thanks to Starlink—concerns related to connection reliability and speeds have kept iGaming operations on land rather than at sea.
In 2022, BetMGM made a foray into iGaming in collaboration with Carnival. This partnership enabled mobile sports betting and online casinos across Carnival’s fleet of over 50 ships. However, this initiative was halted due to satellite internet delays affecting the critical real-time data needed for sports betting.
Regarding online casinos, BetMGM saw limited interest among Carnival passengers. Most gamblers preferred the experience of physical casinos onboard to engaging through their mobile devices.
Royal Caribbean’s Online Lottery Launch
Royal Caribbean is currently piloting its online lottery feature. Passengers on the Utopia of the Seas can already participate in mobile lottery scratch-offs, with plans to extend this offering to additional ships in the upcoming months.