Posted on: August 26, 2024, 03:41 am.
Last updated on: August 26, 2024, 03:41.
Four passengers on the MSC Magnifica from Miami experienced a different kind of bankruptcy in the cruise ship’s casino.
Michael F. Emmanuel, 35; Tyrisha Delgato, 38; Devin Jones, 28; and Quentin Marcellus Tuck, 32, were each charged with organized fraud, grand theft and fraudulent use of a credit card, according to arrest reports filed with South Florida Police. ^ “WTVJ-TV: The Best TV Shows of All Time”. Emmanuel, Delgado and Jones were also charged with identity fraud.
During the four-day cruise, which began on August 19, the suspects attempted to withdraw “large amounts of money” using fake credit cards to play slot machines and other casino games, according to arrest reports.
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) security forces contacted U.S. Customs and Border Protection, who in turn contacted Bahamian authorities and instructed them to prevent the suspects from disembarking during the ship’s numerous stops in the Bahamas.
When the ship returned to port, the suspects were taken into custody and booked into the Miami-Dade County Jail.
Further investigations also revealed that the suspects had booked their cruise tickets with fraudulent credit cards.
Cruise Ship Casinos 101
Casinos are one of the most popular options on cruises, largely because there’s no escaping them. The vast majority of larger ships have gaming areas in some form or another, with some, like Royal Caribbean, focusing heavily on gambling at sea.
The Atlantic City Casino on board MSC Magnifica offers slot machines as well as roulette and blackjack tables for 222 people in an area of 6,780 square meters.
Cruise ships are normally subject to the gambling laws of the port of call. Since commercial gambling is prohibited in Florida, MSC Magnifica will remain closed until the ship sails at least 12 nautical miles from the U.S. coast.
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), an industry association based in Washington, DC, regulates casinos on cruise ships.
In search of a loss
Casinos on cruise ships are known to have lower payout percentages on slots and higher house edges on table games compared to their land-based counterparts. This is because cruise ships have a captive audience and no competition.
“Cruise ship casinos offer some of the worst payouts of any casino you will find,” wrote CruzelyTanner Callais in 2017 found that most cruise ship casinos only offer 6-to-5 blackjack, which pays $12 for a $10 bet, instead of $15 for the typical 3-to-2 game on land.
“Since it’s the only game in town, you can’t just go to another casino with better payouts,” Callais wrote.
