Carnival’s New Digital Lottery Could Turn Passengers Into Millionaires
Key Aspects:
Carnival Cruise Line has announced a new digital, fleetwide lottery with a $1 million potential jackpot.
Carnival Millions will be available on all ships sailing from North American and European homeports.
Secondary prizes will be awarded, but amounts have not been disclosed and may vary.
Cruise lines are always looking for unique ways to engage guests and offer fun, new activities. Carnival Cruise Line may have hit the jackpot with its latest innovation, a fleetwide instant digital lottery with a $1 million jackpot: Carnival Millions.
Instant tickets are not new on cruise ships, but the typical instant win tickets are either scratch-off or pull-tab designs that guests can usually buy in the casino or during onboard bingo games.
As a digital lottery, the new Carnival Millions program is a first in the cruise industry. The new million-dollar lottery game is based on the Carnival Hub app and offers daily draws for winners.
Winnings are shown immediately in the app once the daily draw is made. Guests do not need to purchase a Wi-Fi package to play, but must be connected to their ship’s Wi-Fi service just as they need to be to check menus, book shore tours, or view daily schedules.
With more than 20 Carnival ships eligible to play, tens of thousands of guests could be playing the lottery on any given day.
“We are proud to lead the market in gaming innovation at sea. By linking our ships into one exciting lottery, we’re creating a shared sense of anticipation that goes beyond any single voyage,” said Marty Goldman, Carnival Corporation’s Senior Vice President of Global Gaming.
To be clear, the lottery is across all Carnival ships based in North American or European homeports. At this time, it is not available for ships sailing from Australia.
Carnival Millions has been developed in coordination with TimePlay, the interactive entertainment technology company that also created the wildly popular Deal or No Deal interactive game that is played on more than 70 cruise ships from not only Carnival Cruise Line, but also Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line.
How Do You Win?
The age to play Carnival Millions is slightly confusing. Carnival’s official website says the game is available for ages 18+, but brand ambassador John Heald mentions ages 21 and up. Guests will want to clarify the age for gameplay, which might vary from different homeports.
In the US, individuals must be 18 or older to gamble. The legal gambling age in Europe varies in different countries depending on the type of gambling, and so the age to play Carnival Millions may vary based on departure point or where an individual ship is based.
To play, guests must be connected through the Carnival Hub app. Digital “tickets” can then be purchased for any future daily draws during the sailing.
Read Also: 20 Must-Know Things About the Carnival Hub App
“You can play from anywhere on board – your perfect spot at Serenity, or while playing mini golf,” said Heald. “Carnival Millions will be in the palm of your hand.”
Guests do not need to be present in the ship’s casino to either purchase tickets or to win.
The prizes are described as a “coordinated draw” across the fleet and winners are notified instantly for both the jackpot and secondary prizes. The amount of any secondary prizes has not been detailed. It is common for similar lotteries to base prize amounts on total participation, which could vary daily.
“If you didn’t win the BIG prize, you may have still won a consolation prize big enough to fund your whole vacation,” said Heald. “Get in on the highest stakes at sea, for the biggest jackpot at sea!”
In the case of large prizes, Carnival Cruise Line says the ship’s Casino and Guest Services teams will reach out to winners onboard.
“This experience gives every guest the opportunity to win a lifechanging jackpot, exactly the kind of fun and energy our guests love, and we’re thrilled to deliver it,” said Goldman.
At this time, it is unclear whether or not Carnival Millions may replace the instant tickets currently available for purchase onboard Carnival ships. This move toward a digital lottery could be a step in that direction and would reduce the operational costs of printing tickets and disposing of the waste. This would be similar to Carnival Cruise Line’s move to digital shore excursion tickets in 2025.
Guests who prefer to unplug during their cruise vacations, however, may not be so eager to participate in a digital-only lottery. Time will tell how successful the new game will be and whether or not guests feel it is worth the chance at such a high prize.
Carnival’s New Digital Lottery Could Turn Passengers Into Millionaires