EXCLUSIVE
A cruise passenger who plunged to his death from the ship had racked up $4,000 in casino debt after being lured into spending big by the company’s incentives for “high rollers,” his family claims.
Shane Dixon, 50, died after falling overboard while sailing on the P&O cruise ship Pacific Adventure shortly after 4am on May 6 as it approached Sydney Harbour.
The father-of-three, from Campbelltown in Sydney’s west, had been on the three-day Elvis-themed cruise to Queensland’s Moreton Island with his mother Sue Dixon, 66, who had saved up to book the trip as vacation for the couple. .
His family claims he was a victim of dishonest practices used by cruise companies to encourage gambling under “international waters” guidelines, which would be considered illegal in Australia.
‘Our mother is devastated. Broken,” Shane’s brother Scott Dixon told Daily Mail Australia on Monday.
Shane Dixon, 50, is pictured with his mother Sue Dixon.
Shane died after falling from the P&O Pacific Adventure cruise ship on May 6
‘He has already buried one son and now he has to bury another.
‘Mom said they were having fun, everything was fine.
“But the casino uses all these incentives to tell people, ‘Come back, come back.'”
In Australia, there are strict laws governing how gaming providers can advertise gambling. Promotions such as giving customers free alcoholic drinks, gambling vouchers and prizes to encourage them to spend are prohibited.
However, cruise ships that operate casinos in international waters can circumvent these regulations, offering a lucrative loophole to the rules.
Punters also don’t need to pay up front and can include their splurge directly on their room bill, making it easier to spend and harder to track.
Before the holidays, Scott said his brother was going through a difficult time as he struggled financially and dealt with the ongoing impacts of a series of tragedies, including the breakdown of his marriage and the deaths of his brother and father.
To blow off some steam, Shane went to the cruise ship’s casino on Friday and spent $5,000 while casino staff offered him free drinks, a $750 gambling voucher and a ticket to a future cruise, Scott claims.
Shane borrowed $5,000 from his mother to pay off the debt, but returned to the casino the next night and racked up a $4,000 bill.
Shane has been described as “upbeat, happy and calm” by his devastated loved ones.
Scott believes Shane would have realized the seriousness of his situation when the ship began returning to Australian waters, where the cruise ship casinos closed.
Shane fell from the cruise ship just 10 nautical miles from Sydney Harbour.
“His brain was probably going 100 miles an hour. He probably thought, ‘Shit, I’ve done it again.’ “I can’t afford it and I can’t ask Mom for more money,” Scott said.
She added that the P&O staff were amazing and compassionate towards her mother; However, the family feels that the company’s casino policies are irresponsible.
A high roller who is a member of P&O Cruises’ VIP casino programme, the Players Club, said the strategies used to promote gambling are “predatory”.
While he always plans what he spends and only accepts cash, he said the methods used would be hard for people struggling with gambling addiction to resist.
“They are essentially offshore casinos that pick up people from the coast and take them to international waters to gamble,” said the man, who preferred to remain anonymous.
Pictured: A promotional voucher offered by P&O to casino players, urging them to “come back and play”.
‘They offer players very generous incentives to return, which would not be legal in Australia, including unlimited drinks where RSA does not apply.
‘If you have no means to pay and you have a problem, there is no one to stop you and you can accumulate a large amount of debt.
“Then they close them down when the ship comes back to shore, because they can’t operate them legally in Australia.”
Other similar stories have emerged online, with one gambler taking to Reddit eight months ago seeking advice after being “tricked” into racking up a $5,000 bill he couldn’t pay and which was charged to his room.
Pictured: Photos of the ill-fated trip that Shane posted online before boarding the cruise.
The passenger said he linked the debt to his debit card, but his bank became suspicious of the transaction and blocked his account, leaving him unable to access more money for the rest of the trip.
A person who identified themselves as a former crew member responded by saying, “They will push you as hard as they can to find a way to pay the money.”
“(They will force you) to call family members, ask about other credit cards, etc.,” the former worker wrote.
“If after a while you still have no way to pay them, they will have to let you go after you sign an agreement promising to pay them as soon as possible.”
As Shane’s family calls for change, a family friend has launched a GoFundMe to help them as they prepare to fire the ‘truck worker’.
“He was cheerful, happy and calm,” Scott remembers.
‘It’s terrible (how these casinos work). That’s wrong. Do even local pubs now have to limit the number of customers? Why can’t they do that? First they check the balances.
“Hopefully this can be resolved to help mom feel comfortable.”
A P&O spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia it would be inappropriate to comment on the tragic death of a guest while a coroner’s investigation is underway.
“We have responsible gaming policies on all P&O ships and we take them seriously,” he said.
“We are cooperating fully with the coroner’s investigation.”
For 24/7 confidential support, call Lifeline 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636
