How much can I win in a slot tournament?

On my recent cruise, the slot tournament prize was $500– and there were no second or third place prizes offered, so it was winner-take-all. That is fairly typical, according to friends who have participated in slot tournaments on other cruise ships. Cruise lines love gamblers though, and recently, some cruise lines have offered some exciting slot tournament prizes.

Every year, Carnival hosts a million-dollar slot tournament. In this tournament, the top 100 players earn prizes. The slot tournament's winner received $500,000, the second place winner received $150,000, and the third place winner received $50,000 in the 2023 million dollar tournament. Not too shabby, right? The 2022 tournament saw about 1600 players, giving you a 1 in 16 shot of winning some sort of a prize. However, it's possible that you won't be able to pay for your entry fee.

In 2023, the entry fee was included in a special casino cruise fare that cost about $200 more per person than the standard cruise line rate. Other cruise lines, including MSC, occasionally offer high-stakes tournaments on special cruises for casino club members.

What cruise lines offer slot tournaments?

While it might be a stretch to say “if there’s a casino, there’s probably a tournament,” it’s a safe rule to follow. Carnival, Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess, Royal Caribbean, and Virgin Voyages all host slot tournaments regularly. Special slot tournament cruises for gamblers are occasionally offered by other well-known cruise lines, like MSC, but they don't happen often.

Is playing in a slot tournament fun? Yes! Perhaps not if you’re a spectator, just wandering through the casino, but if you’re playing in the tournament, it can be very exciting. Just the motion of slapping the spin button hundreds of times per minute is enough to get your heart pumping– and then there’s also the possibility of taking home enough cash to finance your next cruise! Check out ABADI126.

Are slot tournaments exciting? Yes, my Apple Watch says! Yikes! I was sitting down!

After I finished my preliminary round, I took a glance at my Apple watch to check my heart rate, and it was a whopping 145 BPM! By comparison, my resting heart rate is usually around 70, so yes, I must have been very excited. The casino host spotted me checking my watch and joked with me that he didn’t want to escort me to the medical center.