Sports betting fans now have the chance to wager at sea.
Princess Cruises is launching Ocean Sportsbook, which it says is the first opportunity to wager on sports from a cruise ship.
The sportsbook will be aboard the cruise line’s MedallionClass ships that are expected to return to service later this year.
The offering will be powered by Ocean Casino, a digital casino that allows mobile wagers on traditional games like blackjack, slots, and roulette. Ocean Sportsbook will allow fans to bet on the NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB, college basketball and football, and a bevy of international events.
Guests will be able to place bets via a proprietary app when the ship is in international waters or wherever permitted by law.
The move by Princess Cruises comes as sports betting experiences tremendous growth. More than $20 billion has been wagered with U.S. sportsbooks since 2018 despite only 19 states regulating sports gambling, per ESPN.
“Taking a cruise vacation no longer means being disconnected from a big game, an iconic event, or friends and family,” said Jan Swartz, president of Princess Cruises.