One of the most popular forms of travel today is cruise ships and a new partnership may make the ocean-style vacation that much more appealing. Late last week, BetMGM and Carnival Corporation announced a new partnership to place sportsbooks on United States-based cruise ships. Over 50 ships will soon offer sports betting while at sea or docked in states where the service is legalized.

Bringing Sports Betting to Sea

The agreement will allow sports fans to wager on their favorite teams and events while on vacation, something new for the sea-faring vessels. Passengers can use physical kiosks on the ships to wager or a mobile application to place a bet.

The deal includes Holland American Line, the Carnival Cruise Line, and Princess Cruises. Sports betting is nothing new to the Princess line as it started offering services late last year. BetMGM plans to phase in the sports betting services this year.

Adam Greenblatt, the CEO of BetMGM, commented on the new deal by stating: “We’ve found an ideal partner in Carnival Corporation and look forward to providing our sports betting and iGaming products to its millions of passengers. This is another great opportunity for us to further expand BetMGM’s footprint.”

Joining Other Gambling Games

The new sports betting service will join other options already offered via the Carnival cruise ships. Passengers already have access to casino gaming via slot machines, poker, and table games. With the new deal connected to BetMGM, the ships can now offer sports betting and an online element.

With online access, more players may be willing to wager than ever before, especially now that sports betting is in the mix. The online services will be a nice complement to the physical gaming, allowing players to enjoy a variety of options while onboard.

Carnival and BetMGM also plan on collaborating on marketing and promotional materials. It is unclear what this could be, but we imagine it will include commercials and ads along with possible sports betting deals. Will BetMGM create bonuses specifically for Carnival cruise ship passengers?

Sports betting continues to grow at a rapid pace in the United States. This new deal is just one of many examples of how the industry is expanding in new and exciting ways. Sports fans have more options than ever before when it comes to wagering, with new options popping up seemingly all the time. It will certainly be interesting to see what happens next in the sports betting world.