Using another guest’s card in slots?

[audcc77]

This looks like this was briefly discussed on another thread, but I am curious if it’s actually been done. 
 

DH and I have $500 obc on an upcoming cruise.  We had this previously as well. When we went to guest services and asked if DH’s $250 can be transferred to me, they said “No” even though he was there with me.  
 

I went to the casino and took a couple spins on his card, but then I figured that if I won anything substantial using his card, they might say that it’s invalid since he wasn’t even playing.  There are cameras everywhere after all. 
 

On the other hand, on another recent cruise, I saw an elderly woman playing for a few hours, then her granddaughter came along and took over and played for another hour. 
 

This must be the way to get massive points in the casino when you have 2 people playing slots, I’m guessing.  

I would think Carnival would take a dim view on this, no?
 

Does anyone know if this is legal in the eyes of Carnival?  
 

My DH hates gambling but I was curious.  If this is do-able, perhaps I’ll use his card on the next cruise.  

Thanks😁
 

Edited July 31, 2022 by audcc77
Addition

[BlerkOne]

You might not be wrong if you hit a jackpot.

 

I'm not aware that sharing of cards is illegal - it is done all the time for slot pulls. The organizer ends up racking up the points. If a jackpot is hit, I think it is the card in the machine that gets the tax liability.         

 

What is the source of the OBC? Perhaps DH could buy a Carnival gift card with the OBC and hand it to you.                                                   

[audcc77]

4 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

What is the source of the OBC? Perhaps DH could buy a Carnival gift card with the OBC and hand it to you.

The source of the OBC is just a regular casino booking.  Plan Now, Play Later, I think. 

That’s interesting about the slot pull.  
 

That’s a nice idea about the gift card. Thanks 👍

[Moviela]

My wife hit a hand pay recently using my card. They didn't care. She had my card because I had drinks everywhere and she needed an expresso. She decided to take a few spins on the way back to the room. They did put the jackpot on my card. I said "Thank you."

 

I did get the cash from the cage and gave it to her. 

. 

[Elaine5715]

Whoever's card is in the machine during a jackpot hit, gets the tax form.  While you accumulate  more points using one card, you decrease future casino offers

[darinb1345]

3 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Whoever's card is in the machine during a jackpot hit, gets the tax form.  While you accumulate  more points using one card, you decrease future casino offers

Hi there- can you say more about this?  I’ve been trying to figure out what’s the best way to get better offers. DH and I will each spend plenty (and about the same amount) in the casino.  We always sail together and I was thinking playing on the same card would increase the play and likely the offers (better room category, more OBC) for whomever’s card is being used. Playing separately we both get offers but not the room categories or extras we like. If it doesn’t get us better offers we may as well use our own card. 
 

This is our first casino offer and sailing with Carnival, we’re really excited to give it a try.

[Elaine5715]

2 hours ago, darinb1345 said:

Hi there- can you say more about this?  I’ve been trying to figure out what’s the best way to get better offers. DH and I will each spend plenty (and about the same amount) in the casino.  We always sail together and I was thinking playing on the same card would increase the play and likely the offers (better room category, more OBC) for whomever’s card is being used. Playing separately we both get offers but not the room categories or extras we like. If it doesn’t get us better offers we may as well use our own card. 
 

This is our first casino offer and sailing with Carnival, we’re really excited to give it a try.

Unless you are planning to rack up 50,000 or more points on one card, you aren't going to move the needle on points alone.  You may get a singular bounceback offer by playing one card but you effectively cut in half the number of offers sent out by the casino marketing dept.  They use multiple data points purchased everywhere and the two of you will be represented differently in those markets.  

[seaman11]

Take hubbys card , put a few hundred loaded onto the card at casino machine, which is charged to his account from obc , then simply have hubby cash it out at the cage later. 

[darinb1345]

3 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Unless you are planning to rack up 50,000 or more points on one card, you aren't going to move the needle on points alone.  You may get a singular bounceback offer by playing one card but you effectively cut in half the number of offers sent out by the casino marketing dept.  They use multiple data points purchased everywhere and the two of you will be represented differently in those markets.  

Thank you!

[Hoosierpop]

11 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Unless you are planning to rack up 50,000 or more points on one card, you aren't going to move the needle on points alone.  You may get a singular bounceback offer by playing one card but you effectively cut in half the number of offers sent out by the casino marketing dept.  They use multiple data points purchased everywhere and the two of you will be represented differently in those markets.  

Agree with this. My wife plays maybe 15% of the craps I do yet she still gets pretty good offers with her limited play. Helps us take friends with us on the casino deals by each of us having some casino offers. 

Edited August 1, 2022 by Hoosierpop

[Deathloks]

18 hours ago, audcc77 said:

My DH hates gambling but I was curious.  If this is do-able, perhaps I’ll use his card on the next cruise.  

Thanks😁
 

Almost all cruises have their slot pulls.  Slot pulls are group putting their money together in expectations of playing higher limits.  Almost all the slot pulls only use 1-person card.  Cruise lines often (used to) added promotional items as prizes (therefore knew and supported).

[Deathloks]

17 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

While you accumulate  more points using one card, you decrease future casino offers

You've repeated that a couple of times now but in our case (and others we know) offers started to get WAY better both with Carnival and other cruise lines (using URComped) as well when we did play all our casino money on the same card.  And this has been going on for 8 years.

[Elaine5715]

26 minutes ago, Deathloks said:

You've repeated that a couple of times now but in our case (and others we know) offers started to get WAY better both with Carnival and other cruise lines (using URComped) as well when we did play all our casino money on the same card.  And this has been going on for 8 years.

I don't include URComped since that isn't revenant to the discussion.

[Deathloks]

Just now, Elaine5715 said:

I don't include URComped since that isn't revenant to the discussion.

In fact, it is VERY relevant as you keep repeating: "you decrease future casino offers".  Not only have we gotten very good (0$) cruises offers for a decade with different perks from Carnival over the years but actually, because of MY casino offers with Carnival, we got free junior suites, free infinite verandas and free outside balconies, with much better perks, with other compagnies.  My wife is along for the ride.  I'd say it's a big enough incentive to do things that way.

[Elaine5715]

2 minutes ago, Deathloks said:

In fact, it is VERY relevant as you keep repeating: "you decrease future casino offers".  Not only have we gotten very good (0$) cruises offers for a decade with different perks from Carnival over the years but actually, because of MY casino offers with Carnival, we got free junior suites, free infinite verandas and free outside balconies, with much better perks, with other compagnies.  My wife is along for the ride.  I'd say it's a big enough incentive to do things that way.

Then YOU need to add the information for URComped, I don't shill for them.   

[LaRue1975]

37 minutes ago, Deathloks said:

You've repeated that a couple of times now but in our case (and others we know) offers started to get WAY better both with Carnival and other cruise lines (using URComped) as well when we did play all our casino money on the same card.  And this has been going on for 8 years.

I 1000% agree with you based on my decade of experience with multiple casinos in Vegas, our results were the same with all of them, MGM, Caesars, Cosmopolitan, Venetian and Wynn. I am exclusively a slot player and hubby plays a little black Jack but is mainly a slot player too. 

 

Playing on one card has it’s advantages and disadvantages so it works or not depending on your goals. If both players in a couple get good offers and like to take friends or family along with them then playing on their own cards is the way to go as they can use both offers and get two cabins. If hubby was a player like me and we had a bigger bankroll we would go this route but he’s not and we are now retired so have to keep our bankroll in check if we want to keep cruising.
 

On our next cruise in October we are going to both play on my card, we didn’t realize we could do that in April on the Vista. It will still depend on points earned and time played though. I did very well on the Vista and was able to run a lot of coin through because I kept winning and eventually gave it all back. Right after I returned I got an offer of a free inside and $200 OBC which I used to book a cove balcony on the Panorama at an $850 discount. Hubby is getting the Hot Streak Bonus offers that give him a slight discount on the cruise fare and $200 OBC. I would rather get an offer of a free balcony on my account than the two offers so for me the goal is better offers not more offers and I think playing on one card will increase my chances of that. Happy cruising and good luck! 

[Hoosierpop]

1 hour ago, Deathloks said:

In fact, it is VERY relevant as you keep repeating: "you decrease future casino offers".  Not only have we gotten very good (0$) cruises offers for a decade with different perks from Carnival over the years but actually, because of MY casino offers with Carnival, we got free junior suites, free infinite verandas and free outside balconies, with much better perks, with other compagnies.  My wife is along for the ride.  I'd say it's a big enough incentive to do things that way.

Is your wife also getting casino offers using your card? If not, that may not be an issue for you. But if you have friends or family who don’t get casino offers, it’s a huge deal. Being able to book two cabins with casino deals is awesome. 

[Deathloks]

3 hours ago, LaRue1975 said:

Playing on one card has it’s advantages and disadvantages so it works or not depending on your goals. If both players in a couple get good offers and like to take friends or family along with them then playing on their own cards is the way to go as they can use both offers and get two cabins.

I do understand different people cruise for different reasons.  Because of that, Carnival (not the casino) always have their targetted sales.  Obviously I also understand a new cruiser or a red card holder is more interesting to them than a platinum or diamond card holder. 

 

In the last year, we cruised with friends that paid 25$/person for an inside cabin for a 6-day cruise (Vista, December 2021).  You add to that the 201$ in tax and port fees plus 168$ of gratuities, it added up to roughly 420$ for 2 for 6 days.  Of course we had our "free" balcony, for a total of 369$ (gratuities, tax and port fees).  Total for the 4 of us (2 cabins) more or less 790$.  To that you take out the 200$ OBC we each add.  Plus de 500$ freeplay I had with my casino offer, it meant -110$ for the four of us for 6 days of cruising.  I also had free drinks everywhere and my wife DOU.  Of course, even though sometimes they paid for their own drinks, other times we got their drinks on our offers.

 

In other words, the 4 of of cruised  for free for 6 days, based mostly on my casino offer,  and Carnival's sale.  Is it possible to get better ?  Maybe.  But TBH, we are not looking for more.  Just so you know, because of the "good" offers I'm getting (my wife's offers are not even discussed or considered) because we mostly play on my card, it has happened on some cruises that we left the ship with more money than we had on embarkation.  As I said before, others may have different reality about it, but my opinion is based on what we have been living on Carnival ships for the last decade.

[auburn77]

My wife and I use our own sail and sign cards in the casino, but it all is charged to one credit card in my name. I am always getting casino offers (including DOU), while she gets nothing. Is all the credit for playing going to me, even though she plays as much as I do?