Disney getting into gambling

[thanxfornoticin]

Old enough to remember when the idea of adult beverages anywhere in Disney Parks would never have been considered. I've learned, sadly, that following the money is priority #1, regardless of the way it changes Walt's original intent of the experience. (Now, even Las Vegas caters to families & horse-racing tracks offer "Family Fun Days.")
NOTHING Chapek does will surprise me & there will be no going back once something is profitable.

Agree - I remember those days, too. But those changes around alcohol sales came well before Chapek. That ship sailed a couple decades ago.

 

[FCDub]

Old enough to remember when the idea of adult beverages anywhere in Disney Parks would never have been considered. I've learned, sadly, that following the money is priority #1, regardless of the way it changes Walt's original intent of the experience. (Now, even Las Vegas caters to families & horse-racing tracks offer "Family Fun Days.")
NOTHING Chapek does will surprise me & there will be no going back once something is profitable.

Walt Disney has been dead for 55 years. Using “it’s not what Walt would have wanted” is a bad faith argument that appeals to purists, I guess, but leaves literally no room for progression, evolution of thought or modernization.

Also, there was alcohol in his parks from the jump – he just wanted the rich and exclusive people to have access to it.

 

[DanielleC]

There's two different ways Disney could offer gambling. They could on DCL and do it as soon as DCL can get some space on the ships, order equipment and hire staff. They would lose a lot of customers who like that DCL doesn't have gambling. I don't see Disney getting sufficient new clients to offset the ones they would lose.

But Chapek is on something if he thinks Disney could offer sports betting in FL. Only parimutuel facilities in Florida can offer sports betting via a mobile app and a contract with the Seminole Indian Tribe. The bets need to be placed on the Tribe's servers which are located on tribe owned land and can only be made inside the State of FL. Disney would need a parimutuel facility to offer wagering.

It would take a change in the state constitution to allow sports betting outside of the Seminole Tribe. Can Disney afford to finance such an initiative? Of course they can. They financed the last attempt to not allow an expansion in gambling in FL. But most people in FL don't want any expansion right now and the lawsuits are to stop sports betting outside of Indian land. The expansion intiiatives aren't really going anywhere to get them on the ballot for 2022.

It would be a very long and drawn out process to see gambling on Disney property.

 

[dd316]

Maybe if they make enough money through gambling they'll lower prices on everything else they've raised?

 

[Jrb1979]

There's two different ways Disney could offer gambling. They could on DCL and do it as soon as DCL can get some space on the ships, order equipment and hire staff. They would lose a lot of customers who like that DCL doesn't have gambling. I don't see Disney getting sufficient new clients to offset the ones they would lose.

But Chapek is on something if he thinks Disney could offer sports betting in FL. Only parimutuel facilities in Florida can offer sports betting via a mobile app and a contract with the Seminole Indian Tribe. The bets need to be placed on the Tribe's servers which are located on tribe owned land and can only be made inside the State of FL. Disney would need a parimutuel facility to offer wagering.

It would take a change in the state constitution to allow sports betting outside of the Seminole Tribe. Can Disney afford to finance such an initiative? Of course they can. They financed the last attempt to not allow an expansion in gambling in FL. But most people in FL don't want any expansion right now and the lawsuits are to stop sports betting outside of Indian land. The expansion intiiatives aren't really going anywhere to get them on the ballot for 2022.

It would be a very long and drawn out process to see gambling on Disney property.

I use an app for my sports betting. Why not add to MDE?

 

[GreatLakes]

There's two different ways Disney could offer gambling. They could on DCL and do it as soon as DCL can get some space on the ships, order equipment and hire staff. They would lose a lot of customers who like that DCL doesn't have gambling. I don't see Disney getting sufficient new clients to offset the ones they would lose.

But Chapek is on something if he thinks Disney could offer sports betting in FL. Only parimutuel facilities in Florida can offer sports betting via a mobile app and a contract with the Seminole Indian Tribe. The bets need to be placed on the Tribe's servers which are located on tribe owned land and can only be made inside the State of FL. Disney would need a parimutuel facility to offer wagering.

It would take a change in the state constitution to allow sports betting outside of the Seminole Tribe. Can Disney afford to finance such an initiative? Of course they can. They financed the last attempt to not allow an expansion in gambling in FL. But most people in FL don't want any expansion right now and the lawsuits are to stop sports betting outside of Indian land. The expansion intiiatives aren't really going anywhere to get them on the ballot for 2022.

It would be a very long and drawn out process to see gambling on Disney property.

I'd be surprised if they based their sports betting out of FL. I assume they would find the location where they have the most beneficial terms, likely NV, and spin up whatever corporate entity they would need in order to do it from there. ESPN is based in CT and I believe they have legalized sports betting.

 

[OKW Lover]

Is this why Chapek discussed making ESPN its own brand/company?

Not quite sure what you are saying here. Many people don't realize that ESPN is part of Disney. Same goes for ABC.

 

[Diswizard]

"The love of money is the root of all evil." It started with the Touchtone movies and has seen a gradual moral decay ever since. How long before there are drug stores..., you know what kind I'm talking about, and brothels on board? Disney as I knew it as a kid is becoming dead to me. I know most will not care, but I'm really sad at how things have changed, not only in America, but our society as a whole.

 

[VandVsmama]

Bob Paycheck would sell out his own mother if it meant improving the stock price.

 

[FCDub]

"The love of money is the root of all evil." It started with the Touchtone movies and has seen a gradual moral decay ever since. How long before there are drug stores..., you know what kind I'm talking about, and brothels on board? Disney as I knew it as a kid is becoming dead to me. I know most will not care, but I'm really sad at how things have changed, not only in America, but our society as a whole.

LOL come on. This is not a good faith argument and you know it. Quite a big leap between R-rated movies and Disney literally allowing sex work and the sale of currently prohibited drugs.

Again, the world has moved past Leave It To Beaver.

 

[RamblingMad]

Makes sense to put sport betting in the bars.

Is there a plan to legalize sport betting in FL?

 

[DL1WDW2]

You couldn’t find anybody that is against all of this more than me and yet I bought stock in draft kings a few years ago, just to hedge my bet!
Currently Kissimmee has a huge billboard near DisneyWorld advertising a new fun day tour…to visit a marijuana farm
Do you know how much tax money Las Vegas has made from marijuana sales recently?
When I heard about this discussion I envisioned a new Sports Bar with huge screens and No Smoking at the ESPN Restaurant on the BoardWalk at Disney Epcot Resort area…Gambling on the menu ?

 

[hhisc16]

Not quite sure what you are saying here. Many people don't realize that ESPN is part of Disney. Same goes for ABC.

Chapek discussed breaking ESPN apart from the DIS for Wall Street so that ESPN is not categorized under DIS for the purpose of gambling to protect the DIS image.

 

[FCDub]

You couldn’t find anybody that is against all of this more than me and yet I bought stock in draft kings a few years ago, just to hedge my bet!
Currently Kissimmee has a huge billboard near DisneyWorld advertising a new fun day tour…to visit a marijuana farm
Do you know how much tax money Las Vegas has made from marijuana sales recently?
When I heard about this discussion I envisioned a new Sports Bar with huge screens and No Smoking at the ESPN Restaurant on the BoardWalk at Disney Epcot Resort area…Gambling on the menu ?

And the issue is … what with that scenario? People whined and did moralist concern trolling over Pleasure Island and Jellyrolls for years.

 

[OKW Lover]

Is there a plan to legalize sport betting in FL?

Yes there is. There is an agreement with the Seminole Indian Tribes to permit sports betting on-line in Florida.

 

[OhThePain]

It makes sense to me. And putting a casino on a ship would make DcL more interesting for a new line of customers especially those from Asia. I happen to like playing cards so I would definitely play blackjack etc. and I love a good sports book. I play on other cruise ships. DCL could easily design a casino that doesn’t give easy access to kids And is out of the way. It’s another revenue source. Why not? I doubt if Families who like to cruise on Disney would stop just because there is a casino. If you like cruising there’s a casino on every other line.

Cruise lines make little to no money from their casinos. Casinos on cruise ships are usually ran by different companies who are responsible for staffing, training and running them. They are the ones the receive most of the revenues from the onboard casinos. Anywhere on the current ships that Disney could fit a casino would hurt their bottom line more than improve it. DCL has all those kids areas that are much larger and more prominent than on other cruise lines. This is the same space that other lines use for casinos. I don't see DCL putting in casinos anytime soon.

 

[bakerworld]

I wouldn't mind sports betting but I am hoping DCL doesn't cave to casino games and slots.

 

[dd316]

Maybe we'll see Pod Racing in Galaxy's Edge soon?

 

[MarkE83]

Between May 2019 and April 2020, Disney owned a share of the gambling company Draftkings. I didn’t see people calling Igers head over it.

the thing is, every company has to evolve with the times to a degree. Even Walt acknowledged that. So when you have DAZN, CBS and everyone else offering sports betting in some way shape or form, you can’t realistically expect ESPN to ignore it.

You’re not going to see slot machines in the park. You’re not going to see gambling adverts on Disney plus.

If you’re the sort of person that wants to avoid gambling, it’s still going to be super easy to do that. All they’re doing is acknowledging that a huge segment of their market likes it, and accommodating them.
The sky is not falling.

 

[karen4546]

One of the things Bob C talked about on the earnings call last week was that they are seriously looking into getting into sports betting. Major change for Disney who has always been against gambling. Apparently Bob sees synergies with ESPN.

The ships have Bingo. Bingo is Gambling. I don't know anything about sports betting. But, no one is forcing anyone to bet, play bingo, buy $50 Starbucks cups, Genie + etc.

FWIW, I participated in the Bingo and it was really fun! We had a couple of drinks, a couple of laughs and won Nothing but it was worth the $30 for sure.