Show me the money! Oh and give me a free alcoholic drink while playing these slot machines. Did you know that cruise ships have to abide by certain water law? The days of fun in Florida with gambling cruises to nowhere are all but forgotten; only Victory cruises out of Jacksonville and Orlando still remain as the other Florida locations could not survive the onslaught of land based Indian casinos as well as horse and dog track casinos, especially once they began having Vegas slots and card gaming such as blackjack. However, international cruises still have gambling and there are gambling laws that need to be considered. Speaking with a maritime attorney near Miami can help you understand these laws.
Maritime Attorneys understand Gambling Laws on Cruise Lines
If a cruises hip is a member of Cruise Lines International Association or CLIA, then all members must meet the criteria and regulations of the Nevada Gaming Control Board. To meet these regulations, each cruise line is to have a policy that will according to the CLIA´S website “provide a gaming guide setting forth the rules of play for their casino, and that these rules of play shall generally follow those established for casinos in Nevada, New Jersey, or England. “ Compliance comes from house rules are available in every casino, all games are posted with minimum and maximum limit and only adults are allowed to play.
What if you have a gaming dispute in international waters? On Florida’s east coast, gambling in international waters begin three miles offshore and 12 miles offshore on the west coast. Normally, the casino manager can handle the problem or the problem is taken up with the Hotel Manager. Most people may want to try to solve these disputes themselves, but handling casino disputes are not a walk in the park and you should contact a maritime attorney right away. Casinos on cruise lines adhere to international maritime laws and you will be in over your head without using a knowledgeable attorney and nothing may ever get solved. Gambling laws also are set forth by the country that the cruise ship was registered in, which makes it even more difficult if you have a dispute. Only specialized lawyers understand these laws.
Water Law Also Obtains to Drinking Laws
Like gambling, drinking laws pertain to the country of origin, the cruise ship is registered in. Some ships let you drink at 18 and all let you drink if you are 21 or over. A variety of ships let 18 year olds drink if their parents sign a waiver.
Oftentimes, people jump off ships or have overboard accidents. More times than not, the reason is because of over excessive alcohol. Ships make drinking seem like a luxury, but are they responsible if someone jumps because of alcohol? It depends. In 2011, in Cozumel, Mexico no one knows if a drunken man jumped or was an accident, but officials say that he jumped. His wife claims otherwise and sued carnival from their all you can drink package. Mexican authorities searched for 2 hours while 2 other ships, Princess and Norwegian were docked, and after about 2 hours all ships continued with their scheduled itineraries. His body was never found.
If you are in an alcoholic accident or have a gambling dispute and feel it is the fault of the cruise ship, please call us right now or contact us at david@irwinlegal.com We are maritime specialists who understand water law near Miami that solve problems on the sea.