Brett Chatz

The country’s biggest casino corporation has officially been crowned: the Eldorado-Caesars joint group. This merger between Caesars Entertainment and Eldorado Resorts now features 55 casinos across the United States, and the rest of the world.

After years of controversy between poker ace Phil Ivey and the Borgata, Atlantic City, a settlement has been reached. The MGM-owned casino in Atlantic City was embroiled in a bitter dispute with poker superstar, Phil Ivey who reputedly used underhanded techniques known as edge-sorting to gain the advantage over the Borgata in 2012.

In April 2020, VICI Properties and Caesars Entertainment Corporation announced the sale of Bally’s Casino, Atlantic City to Twin River Worldwide Holdings Inc. for a figure of just $25 million. The deal brokered between the parties awarded $6 million to Caesars Entertainment Corporation, and $19 million to VICI. Now, 4 months later, the owners of Bally's Casino Atlantic City are determined to restore the iconic establishment’s status to its former glory.

Growing concern about the rampant spread of the novel coronavirus has led to a renewed push for cashless payment processing by the American Gaming Association (AGA). The AGA recently published a document titled, ‘Payments Modernization Policy Principles’ which provides a regulatory framework for the provision of digital payments at casinos. The AGA has been working hard behind the scenes, alongside industry operators to fast-track the provision of contactless payment processing solutions.

As one of the leading providers of online casino games in New Jersey, Ainsworth Game Technology recently announced that Party Online Casino will be hosting a fine selection of AGT casino games to legal-age players in the Garden State. Ainsworth Game Technology and Roar Digital partnered to deliver an exciting selection of games for players. These include the likes of Eagle Bucks, Rumble Rumble, Thunder Cash, Mustang Money, and the spectacular Electric Nights. The games will also be available to players at other online gaming destinations in New Jersey.

MGM Resorts International, the owner of the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, New Jersey, has unveiled a ‘Seven-Point Safety Plan’ in anticipation of reopening the doors of Atlantic City's premier land-based casino

888casino, a homegrown favorite in New Jersey, is ramping up its promotional offers ahead of the summer season with a generous $20 ‘Free Bonus’ – No Deposit Needed – for first time players.

The state of New Jersey has been hit hard by recent events. The closure of non-essential businesses across the state has left hundreds of thousands of individuals without work, as unemployment claims reach unprecedented levels. Between April 5-11, some 141,120 unemployment claims were filed, 18.5 times more than the same period in 2019. The State Department of Labor released the data in mid-April, 2020. Between 2 March-10 April, New Jersey paid some $424.6 million in unemployment benefits.

Federal guidelines have been issued regarding the phased-in approach towards reopening individual states across the union. The Garden State has begun relaxing restrictions on a variety of non-essential businesses, after Governor Phil Murphy met with committees and task forces to implement a safe and secure reopening of the state. One of the hot-ticket items on the agenda is how to manage the reopening of 9 casinos in Atlantic City. This task has been entrusted to AtlantiCare in tandem with the Casino Association of NJ.

The NFL Draft is one of the most highly-anticipated events on the football calendar. The 2020 Draft was slated to take place at the illustrious Las Vegas Strip, alongside the resplendent Bellagio hotel, with players ferried to a grand stage set up on the Fountain. Festivities were planned well ahead of time to showcase this event, but current realities required a sharp detour.