Re: The IFE having onboard gambling
I recall reading a few years ago that the authorities in the USA
will not permit any form of video gaming activities (gambling) on board any aircraft operating in airspace or ports within the United States.
The regulation also stated that
no aircraft shall be fitted with nor shall any passenger be capable of any form of gambling.
The reasoning behind it was concerns for the behaviour of passengers onboard, the effect to the community in general due to the social implications on gambling. The specific nature of airline operations which could expose a person to sit in front of a gaming machine for hours on end. The enquiry at the time also looked at the potential revenues that both US & foreign carriers could generate from these gambling sources. It was a sh*%t load of cash, however the study recomendation was that the benefits of prohibiting such gambling far outweighed the potential earnings for carriers.
It would take a change of US legislation for carriers to change such policy.
All that which I've stated above comes with a caveat, that since reading the article a few years ago that the ban actually became law. Which I believe it was definately going to.
So, should jetstar operate to Honolulu. Such activities would not be approved. Should Jetstar have gambling on other international services these aircraft would have to be dedicated to those routes. Once an aircraftt is fitted with any form of gambling machine (in IFE) it can't go to the States.
I hope the Jetstar team have looked at this scenario, or will they fit the fleet with such IFE only to find the can't operate them to the states.
