Has anyone really 'won' in the casino?

[dcsam]

My husband gambles a set amount every night (~$20). I know it's no use even trying, but for some reason he just seems to enjoy wasting 20 bucks on the slots. I think he won $80 one year, but went around and spent that too. I can't watch him. Can't stand the thought of knowingly throwing money away. So he claims it's just part of the entertainment!!!! Argh...... Just curious if anybody really wins - and I'm not talking to the people who say they've won $100, but fail to say it took $500 to get there.

[doublebzz]

I've heard lots of people tell me they won. Problem is they never tell me when they lose. I agree with your hubby, however. If throwing away $20 a night on the slots gives him enjoyment, don't begrudge him. There are greater sins in life.

[boze9999]

My sister and my son have won at slots, blackjack and the tournaments - consistently! Me - I make a great cheerleader!

[SwissMyst]

We stare captivated by the what we call the "pushy-pushy machine" when we pass the casino - anyone win anything from that contraption that has little arms that push increasing amounts of coins and other things off and edge, and then down to another edge? I think you spring-load quarters into it to keep the whole thing moving along, but usually nothing happens.

[PathfinderEss]

I've heard of passengers winning but certainly that has never been the case with me. I don't even get any entertainment out of it. 20 bucks gone in a few minutes. :eek:

[dcsam]

Do you think the odds of winning are better at the beginning of the cruise (get you hooked) rather than towards the end of the cruise?

[EagleRocker]

On our May 2010 Amsterdam cruise, I netted around $200-300 on slot machine play. Some nights, I broke even or lost, but on a couple others, I won a few times and in decent amounts. All in all, I ended at least $200 ahead, maybe $300 (can't recall exactly). I considered that a minor miracle - every other cruise (other lines included), I always ended up losing everything I pumped into those things. To be honest, I think it was a fluke.

[Krazy Kruizers]

A few years ago before the machines were changed, we actually saw a couple of people win some big bucks.

Now that there are new machines -- like the Vegas ones -- I don't hear of people winning anything big or as many times anymore.

[KirkNC]

I have had cruises where I have won but I have also had ones I have lost. I have never totaled it out but I am sure overall I have lost :o.

[sapper1]

I know someone who won $2000 a few years ago. He had to go back to his cabin to get his passport and prove he was Canadian so there was no withholding. Canada does not tax lottery or gambling winnings.

[Oceanwench]

My sister won about $1,500 on a slot machine on HAL. I believe she put in about $80 before hitting it big.

 

I am sure by the end of the week she had given back her winnings and more.

[trev71]

on my first cruise, back in 2008 i won about 125$ on the deal or no deal slots machines. So thats about it and ive probably lost all of that on the next cruises. I usualy only gamble one night while I am on the cruise and thats about 25$ or so

[Minoushka]

Unfortunately I havegiven more than i,ve received.....Princess and esp Celebrity have the tightest machines ...others so so many ships are Dead at night so you get stuck going to the Casino because there is nothing else also many plan their shows early so once again no entertainment available

On a port intensive itinerary one can avoid the Casino but on others there really isnothing else

the worst is machines that allow you to withdraw cash on your seapass card ..those amounts add up verynicely .I promise to only spend $$$ i bring along from now on.

i have seen people win big ...I.m stilll waiting for my turn ...LOL

[doublebzz]

The slots are probably the worst gambling option on cruise ships. In Vegas, some casinos have payoff rates at high as 98%; on the ships probably not much higher than 50-60%.

[brucory]

We were with a couple of good friends once who won $1200. They were very excited and bought everyone's wine at our table the next night.

 

They loved the casino though, and I have no doubt they gave it almost all back over the 3 weeks we were on the ship....

 

:D:D:D

[Boytjie]

On a cruise's first night they were doing raffles in the shops and in the casino. While waiting for the drawing in the casino I pumped $20 into a slot machine and after a few pulls I won $600! I have also won some money playing roulette and and blackjack. I enjoy blackjack's slower pace (and better odds). I have lost money in the casino too, of course, but I consider it part of my entertainment at sea.

[Boytjie]

...and I have no doubt they gave it almost all back over the 3 weeks we were on the ship....

 

So they didn't really loose anything and you got free wine. :D

 

My $600 slots win also went back to the ship - it made a nice dent in my shipboard account!

[msmayor]

I had a very nice win on our Veendam cruise this past spring.

 

DH and I enjoy gambling as entertainment and we always 'budget' a set amount of $$ for the casino each day. We've always been disciplined enough to keep to our limites (for example, when I play roulette I play no more than 10 spins, whether I am winning or losing, and play with the same amount of $$ each 'session'.

 

Our first night in the casino, with $20 in the video poker machine (the only 'slot' we play) I hit a royal flush on the maximum payout...$1,000. The next night, DH hit a good string of cards in blackjack and walked away with $400.

 

We never increased what we'd planned to bet because of the winnings. We continued to use the $$ we'd already set aside for our casino fund for the rest of the week and put the 'winnings' toward all the on-board and shore expenses...and I splurged on some time in the spa and salon.

 

We walked off the ship with a $6 on board bill and ALL the cash we'd initially brought as spending money.

 

Similar thing happened back in 2008 on RCL. I hit four-of-a-kind in a hand of Let it Ride (three of a kind at the start, so I let all my bets remain) and I walked away from the table with over $1000...walked straight to Guest Services and put it all on my shipboard account and 'retired' from the casino for the rest of the cruise.

 

Best souvenir to go home with is some of the cruise line's $$.

[George C]

Normally lose some but I sometimes come out ahead at the end of the cruise, I like playing for a hour a night at Caribbean poker or blackjack or roulette and even some slots

[samiii]

I'm a $5 bettor, and I enjoy Craps & 3 card poker. I always stert with a set amount, and a 2 Hour limit. Whichever comes first I quit. A couple of years ago, on a Crysyal 14 day cruise I cashed out with a total winning of $12. I decided to put it in a Slot machine. On the 3rd pull I hit for $2,500!! I cashed out and never went in the Casino for the balance of the trip. On the whole, I figure I'm ahead of them for now. I usually only go to the casino twice a week on our cruises. Good luck all. samiii

[durangoscots]

I play the slots on cruises, have a set amount for each day and play that. I have come out ahead on two cruises, once on the Statendam and once on the Amsterdam. It was a about $200 each time. And I usually win enough to keep me going during the cruise. Once my "set aside" is gone ... that is it.

 

Susan

[B Russo]

My husband gambles a set amount every night (~$20). I know it's no use even trying, but for some reason he just seems to enjoy wasting 20 bucks on the slots. I think he won $80 one year, but went around and spent that too. I can't watch him. Can't stand the thought of knowingly throwing money away. So he claims it's just part of the entertainment!!!! Argh...... Just curious if anybody really wins - and I'm not talking to the people who say they've won $100, but fail to say it took $500 to get there.

3 yr ago, The first night out of Seattle on the Osterdam I won 8,700 on progressive Video poker. Had only 20.00 in it. My wife got 1,000 on the Stattendam a few years ago. We did not put a lot back in on the trip. :) Bill

[CoronaCRZR]

Slots are there for the entertainment factor. I think there odds have been tweaked down about as low as they can to improve their (the ship's) income. I hardly ever play them, my wife on the other hand loves them and makes sure the casino ends up with a healthy profit;)

 

The only time I can win any money is when the odds are a bit more in my favor. I play blackjack and (on ships that have them) the Poker pro table.

I have made several hundred dollars on the Poker tables.

[Candy]

You can find Jim at the PokerPro table and me at the Craps table. I have a nightly budget which sometimes lasts for minutes, sometimes hours. I leave when the dice are cold or the allowance is gone. The most we've NETTED on one cruise so far is $4,400.

 

Since we rarely leave the ship, the casino is our "excursion".

[YubaSutter]

Last cruise I played one hand of blackjack. Won the hand and walked away with an extra $20. Spent it on two buckets of beer in Puerto Vallarta.