Carnival Cruises braced for potential class action due to casino practices

Carnival Cruises could be sued in a potential class action suit due to allegations of “unethical” practices in operating casinos onboard its ships. 

Australian firm Carter Capner Law is continuing its investigations, instigated by the tragic death of Shane Dixon who fell overboard while sailing on Pacific Adventure, the grand-class liner of P&O Cruises, a Carnival subsidiary. 

As detailed by Carter Capner, Mr Dixon is believed to have jumped overboard having racked up an A$9,000 ($5,869) gambling debt over two nights, with his mother settling the $5000 loss from the first night. 

The law firm states it has been “inundated” by contacts from similarly impacted passengers across Australia and New Zealand, deepening the ongoing probe. 

Company director Peter Carter stated that P&O Cruises incentivized patrons to gamble by offering credit regardless of their financial situation, with incentives including free alcohol and cruise offers. 

These practices are generally banned under Australian law but the onboard gambling activity takes place in international waters, outside the jurisdiction of the country’s reach. 

Cartner Capner went on to describe how the legal loophole enables “aggressive incentive programs that can encourage excessive gambling” and cited this as a “critical factor” contributing to the death of Mr Dixon.

In response, a spokesperson for P&O Cruises Australia told Yahoo News Australia the company has “Responsible Conduct of Gaming Policies in place on all P&O ships and takes those policies seriously”.

Carnival Cruises is one of many in the maritime sector that utilize SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network.

Mr. Carter also told ABC Radio Sydney how to cruise customers informed him they incurred debts of thousands of dollars “without keeping track of it because the casino on the ship doesn’t do it for them”.

One person was able to spend upwards of $6,000 on Carnival Cruises’ ship casino despite having just $2,000 in their bank account, as per the law firm’s statement. The man, named only as Paul, was unaware this credit was effectively a loan, believing the funds were being debited from his account. 

On arrival back in Sydney, he was held for three hours due to the debt. 

Another individual was offered various incentives and a credit limit of $5,000 per day despite having a history of gambling problems, which included unpaid debts from previous sailings with the company. 

Not only are Carnival and P&O Cruises embroiled in the controversy, but Royal Caribbean has also been featured in complaints to Carter Capner but to a much lesser extent.

Image credit: Via Midjourney

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