MSC Cruises and Playtech have expanded their partnership to include retail sports betting on seven of the cruise line’s ships. This agreement will allow guests to engage in real-time sports betting while sailing in international waters. Playtech was founded in 1999 and is known in the gaming technology world for providing software and services for online, retail and mobile gaming platforms.
In an industry first, MSC Cruises will bring Playtech’s sports betting solutions to MSC Grandiosa, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Seascape, MSC Seashore, MSC World America, MSC World Europa, and MSC Virtuosa. If successful, the cruise line and Playtech plan to expand the onboard entertainment experience to additional vessels over the coming months.
Speaking when the agreement was initially announced in May 2025, Mara Friso, head of casino at MSC Cruises, said, “We are very proud to be able to deliver the excitement and engagement of sports gaming to our guests through our partnership with Playtech. Our fleet of modern cruise ships will provide our customers a wide array of immersive digital content as a complement to our state-of-the-art cruise casinos.”
Guests can bet on live sports events through self-service terminals and mobile tills through the ships all while traveling to some of the world’s most beautiful destinations. MSC Cruises is betting on appealing to not only avid sports fans, but tech-savvy, younger passengers looking for more diverse and interactive forms of entertainment.
Yori Arami, Playtech’s vice president of sports commercial, said, “We are excited to partner with MSC Cruises and bring our retail sports betting solutions to their impressive fleet. This partnership represents a significant milestone for Playtech as we continue to expand our offerings and provide unique, engaging experiences for players around the world on land and sea.”
MSC Cruises and Playtech’s long-standing partnership began in 2014 when MSC Cruises began using Playtech’s “Neon” casino management system. The system includes table games and slot machines and is integrated with the ship’s systems allowing guests to use their room key to complete transactions. In the same fashion, the retail sports betting technology will be integrated with guests’ onboard accounts.