MSC Cruises has announced a new partnership with gaming technology provider Playtech to bring retail sports betting to select cruise ships. This new option will be available for guests sailing in international waters.
The agreement begins with a trial in 2025. During this time, sports betting will be available on eight MSC Cruises ships, covering 284 voyages.
If this initial trial is successful, MSC Cruises plans to roll out the offering across its entire fleet of 23 vessels. This new service means that passengers will be able to place bets on the initial eight vessels which have not yet been named. This type of betting has not offered by MSC before.
Mara Friso, Head of Casino at MSC Cruises, shared her excitement in a statement:
“We’re very proud to be able to deliver the excitement and engagement of sports gaming to our guests through our partnership with Playtech. Our fleet of modern cruise ships will provide our customers a wide array of immersive digital content as a complement to our state-of-the-art cruise casinos.”
Yori Arami, Playtech’s Vice President of Sports Commercial, noted that MSC Cruises is already a long-time customer for their casino system, making them the “perfect partner” to expand sports betting globally.
Playtech is a major name in the gaming technology world, known for developing software for online casinos, sports betting platforms, and various other gambling products for operators worldwide.
The Partnership’s History
Playtech has supplied its “Neon” casino management system to MSC Cruises since 2014. This existing relationship handles the management of casino operations like slots and table games.
The specific names of the eight ships involved in the 2025 trial have not yet been publicly disclosed.
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