The American Gaming Association (AGA) is breaking new ground as it welcomes its first member with zero land-based or online casinos. That newest member to America’s largest gaming industry trade group is the Carnival Corporation a.k.a. Carnival Cruise Lines. The operator of AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and Seabourn is the first cruise line to join the organization – despite the presence of casinos on nearly every cruise ship in the world.
Despite the superlative nature of Carnival and the AGA’s announcement, the connection between established, land-based casino operators is more solid than one might think. Carnival has long worked with operators like Bally’s and BetMGM, as well as a constellation of gaming product suppliers. The company even has its own internal gaming operator, Global Gaming.
Maureen Beddis, senior vice president of membership and events at the American Gaming Association praised the announcement in a recent press release saying, “We’re thrilled to welcome Carnival Corporation to the American Gaming Association,” said . “As a global leader in leisure travel and entertainment, they not only bring a unique perspective to our membership but also deepen our network through longstanding partnerships with several existing AGA members.
“Their commitment to delivering world-class gaming experiences at sea complements our efforts to promote innovation, collaboration, and responsible gaming across the industry. We look forward to working together to strengthen our collective impact.”
Marty Goldman, senior vice president of global gaming at Carnival Corporation was similarly enthusiastic adding, “Joining the American Gaming Association is an important step in advancing our industry leadership and ensuring we remain at the forefront of responsible gaming and regulatory best practices.”
The only real question here is why it took so long for cruise line casino operators to take this step in the first place.