Joining in a slot pull tournament onboard a cruise can be a fun way to enjoy time in the casino, meet new friends, and just maybe hit it big. Privately organized tournaments, however, do come with a risk, and Carnival Cruise Line is advising guests to be cautious.
First of all, unlike other organized games such as playing Left-Center-Right for bets, which is prohibited, Carnival Cruise Line does permit privately-organized slot pulls.
These do have to be approved through each ship’s casino, which can only be done onboard the ship. Typically, the organizer will get such approval for the event on embarkation day or otherwise early in the cruise.
Sometimes this may not be possible, however, and guests who had hoped to be part of the event may be disappointed or frustrated. Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador, John Heald, has offered some advice and warnings about such events.
“As I’ve mentioned many times, slot tournaments need to be approved by the casino on board. People that have organized these private slot tournaments through Facebook need to get the approval of the casino by visiting the casino host on embarkation evening,” Heald explained. “They will always do their best to approve this, but sometimes they say no if the casino is extremely busy.”
At times, there may be no opportunity for private slot pulls, especially on shorter sailings or when there are multiple ports of call and the casino must be closed. Other special events in the casino might also mean there is no time suitable for these events.
The difficulty comes if the organizer has already collected money from eager participants but the event is not approved by the casino manager.
If the event cannot be confirmed, any guests who have pre-paid for their entry could have great difficulty getting those entry fees returned, and Carnival Cruise Line is unable to offer assistance.
Such a situation arose recently and while Heald cannot assist guests with getting their entry fees back, he does caution guests about how they participate in these events.
“I had a case this week where 40 people had paid $20 to a Facebook group moderator or whatever their title is,” Heald explained. “The slot tournament was denied and now people are having a problem getting their $20 back. And obviously there is nothing I can do to get involved in this.”
Because these private events are not run through the cruise line, the casino is unable to assist with refunds, credit, or other arrangements if the slot pull does not happen.
“Please can I remind everybody that if you are taking part in a private slot tournament, my advice would be not to pre-pay anybody that is advertising this,” Heald said.
“I know they can be fun and all I ask is that people do not pre-pay any participation fee and for anybody arranging this to please check with the casino once you are on board.”
How Slot Pulls Work
While different organizers may put together slot pulls in slightly different ways, in general these events take place on a single slot machine. Participating cruisers then pool their money – the entry fees – to play the machine for a longer period of time.
For example, if 20 cruise guests are joining in all with a $5 entry, the machine will be played for the entire $100 of all guests together. This can increase the odds of a bigger win, and any payouts are split between all entrants.
Each cruiser joining in has their turn on the machine to be part of the fun. Usually, the organizer’s casino card or ship card is used for the play, and they accrue any associated points or account benefits. Some organizers may randomly select a participant’s card to be used for points.
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During the play, the group may decide together if any winnings should be played further. The organizer may provide small prizes for all participants or for the individual who has the most profitable pull during their turn in the game.
It should be noted that privately-organized slot pulls are different than slot tournaments organized by the casino. During a slot tournament, multiple machines are used, everyone pays an entry fee, and the goal is for individual players to accrue the highest total during timed play.
I’ve joined in casino-run slot tournaments, and they’re great fun. The only skill needed is to hit the “spin” button as fast as humanly possible in the hopes of “winning” more. If you’re the top winner, you win the tournament prize, which is usually a stated amount such as $100, $250, $500, or even more. (Nope, I didn’t win!)
A privately-organized slot pull can be a lot of fun as well, but all cruisers should carefully investigate how the event will be run, what the rules are, and how the entry fee is to be collected. Always be cautious with such events, and you can enjoy them just like any other fun on your cruise.
