A common question I hear is, ‘How much do I need to gamble on a cruise ship to earn a comp cruise?’ The better question isn’t ‘what’s the minimum,’ but instead ‘How can I maximize my edge and how much can I gamble?’
Gambling with an Edge
I look forward to playing Video Poker on cruise ships because it’s easy to gamble with an edge, not only by relying on future cruise offers, but also by stacking credit card rewards with gambling.
At a minimum, with the credit cards I currently have, I earn at least 4% cashback on cruise transactions – even when loading funds in a cruise casino – with the Altitude Connect credit card. I can use points-earning cards for greater value because points can be redeemed more effectively than fixed cashback.
If I expect to lose about 3% in the long run playing Video Poker, I still have a 1% advantage in addition to possible return cruise offers, bonus freeplay, onboard bonuses like comp spa services and food upgrades, and potential tier credits and comps with MGM Rewards while on certain ships that link to MGM Rewards.
Other credit cards earning bonus points on cruise transactions include:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x Ultimate Rewards)
- Amex Green (3x Membership Rewards)
- Chase Ink Preferred (3x Ultimate Rewards)
- and even the Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard (2x Amtrak points).
In addition to earning in a bonus category, you may also work on spending towards a high welcome bonus for a much higher advantage. You may also use a card that doesn’t bonus travel, but awards a welcome bonus or bonus for high spending, but personally I wouldn’t give up a high category bonus and only earn something like 1x points because I can hit spend goals without leaving points on the table.
Transparency….Sometimes
In some cases, cruise lines will be transparent about how much coin-in or playthrough is needed for a return comp cruise offer, but this isn’t always the case. While cruising with Celebrity through a comp MGM Rewards offer from my MGM Platinum status, I played through just under $10,000 in coin-in or playthrough, and I regularly receive comp cruise return offers even months after my cruise.
I stay under $10,000 when cruising with MGM to avoid declarations with customs and possible adverse action for ‘excessive room charges,’ which happened to me on other ships.
Because America Loves Math, here are some examples:
- $9500 in coin-in, $285 theoretical loss
- …but 4% cashback on $9500 is $380, so you’re + $95 in expected value in addition to other considerations.
- 3x points worth two cents per point is $570, so you’re + $285 in expected value.
Adding a welcome bonus you achieved through onboard gambling could easily be worth $500-1000 or more. If casino signage, for example, told me I only needed $5000 in playthrough for a return cruise, I’d still want to play through around $9500 because I have an edge rather than stopping early for minimum reward.
As always, gamble & use credit cards intelligently and responsibly. Learn more at ZorkFest 2025 this December in Las Vegas!
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