Gambling above the clouds soon a reality?

Until now, the gambling offer on board airplanes has generally been very sparse. A new collaboration between the gambling provider DraftKings and Delta Airlines could change this situation, at least on some routes. Various games of chance could soon be available on certain aircraft.

Until now, airlines have largely refrained from offering gambling above the clouds. However, the reason for this was often not a lack of interest on the part of the airline, but rather legal hurdles. For example, in-flight gambling is still completely prohibited in the USA. As a result, airlines are not allowed to install or operate gambling devices on board. However, it has now been announced that the American airline Delta Airlines is cooperating with the billion-dollar gambling giant DraftKings. But what is the point of this cooperation?

Delta CEO announces cooperation - to what end?

The CEO of Delta Airlines, Ed Bastian, announced during his speech at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that his airline would be cooperating with the gambling provider DraftKings in future. The decisive factor for the decision is said to have been the fact that in-flight technology is becoming increasingly important for passengers. It was only in mid-November last year that we at GambleJoe reported on the British airline EasyJet's entry into the sports betting business.

However, Bastian failed to explain in which areas the company would be working with the renowned gambling provider in the future. The aim, however, is to integrate DraftKings' range of games into Delta Airlines' in-flight entertainment system. Consequently, it is unlikely that classic slot machines or other casino games will be available above the clouds in the future. It will be more about classic entertainment games with a low proportion of gambling.

In his presentation in Las Vegas, the head of Delta Airlines emphasized the importance of gaming in people's everyday lives. Specifically, he said:

"Gaming has become an integral part of the daily lives of many of our customers. They shouldn't have to take a break just because they're in the air. Our collaboration with DraftKings will build on the portfolio of games we already provide to our passengers today."

However, it is important to know that there is a so-called in-flight gambling ban in the United States. This means that, among other things, no gambling devices may be transported or operated on board an aircraft. Gambling and casinos in particular are more common on the high seas. Back in March 2019, we reported on the then new trend of casino cruises.

And in 2018, scratch cards were very popular with the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair.

Source of the image: https://pixabay.com/de/vectors/flugzeug-fluggesellschaft-boeing-747-145889/