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New Jersey casinos brought in 15 percent more from online gambling in March over the previous month, but it wasn't nearly enough to offset the diminishing revenue from Atlantic City's long-struggling brick-and-mortar casinos.

The state Division of Gaming Enforcement reported Monday on casinos' gambling winnings in the latest edition of a monthly report where the news has been mostly discouraging for years.

Online gambling, which was launched in November as the latest hope to reverse Atlantic City's fortunes, hasn't brought in the revenue that was expected.

But it has grown each month. In March, the casinos won $11.9 million from online bettors, a 15 percent increase over February, when the casinos' take was $10.3 million. The state says 292,000 people are now registered to bet online in the state, an 18 percent increase over February.

Atlantic City's casinos, which are partnering with online gambling companies, have been using billboards, direct mailers, Web ads and other means in relentless promotion of the new option.

Including the online revenue, Atlantic City's 11 casinos won a total of $233 million in March 2014, down 2 percent from March 2013, when there were still 12 casinos operating. The Atlantic Club Casino Hotel closed in January of this year.

Winnings for the physical casinos dropped faster. The $221 million brought in was 7 percent less than the same period last year.

Most of the individual casinos were either big winners or big losers in March compared with the same month last year.

Revel Casino Hotel saw its winnings at its physical casino jump 50 percent to $14.7 million. The Golden Nugget Atlantic City, which has gone after former Atlantic Club players aggressively, and Resorts Casino Hotel each had increases of just over 20 percent. The Golden Nugget's winnings were $12.9 million; Resorts' were $11.2 million.

Tropicana Casino and Resort ($22.2 million) posted an increase of more than 10 percent.

Meanwhile, four casinos had winnings that were down by more than 10 percent from last year.

Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, the city's least prolific casino, brought in $4.7 million, a decrease of 31 percent; Bally's Atlantic City, at $17.9 million, was down 18 percent; Trump Taj Mahal won $19 million, down 19 percent; and Showboat Casino Hotel, at $14 million, was down 17 percent;

The casino with relatively stable winnings compared to last year was the city's biggest, The Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa, which made $51.5 million, a decrease of 1.2 percent. Harrah's Resort Atlantic City was down 5.5 percent to $29 million, and Caesar's Atlantic City won $24.3 million, an increase of less than 1 percent.

The biggest share of the Internet gambling revenue went to Borgata, with $4.4 million; Caesars Interactive New Jersey was next with $3.7 million.

In order to keep their gaming collections fresh, it is common for online casinos to frequently add new games released by their software platform developers. The online casino game developing world is very alive and thus it always provides new games to online casinos, with said games becoming more technologically complex, and immersive to benefit the players.

Winner Casino is a prime example for an online casino which constantly adds new games to its already vast gaming portfolio. Most of Winner Casino's games are available in demo versions giving interested players the chance to try them out or hone their skills in practice mode. Let's have a look at games to Winner Casino's Playtech game portfolio.

The Money Drop

Based on the popular UK TV game show, The Money Drop is a 5-reel, 20-payline video slot featuring expanding wilds triggered by the Golden Wild Scatter symbol alongside two unique bonuses: The Drop Bonus which has players try to keep as much cash as they can through 8 rounds and the Security Pass Bonus where players click on falling cash bundles to collect freespins and multipliers.

Sunset Beach

Sunset Beach is a 5-reel, 20-payline video slot with a summer theme featuring a sun washed beach with symbols consisting of beach balls, cocktails, surfer girls, waves and the traditional letters and numbers. One of Sunset Beach's highlights is its stacked wilds represented by three bikini-clad girls, which clone themselves to enhance winning potentials.

The Three Musketeers and the Queens Diamond

The Three Musketeers and the Queens Diamond is a colorful 5-reel, 50-payline video following the world's most famous musketeers on their search for the Queen's diamond. The game's highlight is its unique Queen's Diamond Bonus which lets players go through 5 distinctive levels where they earn game lives and win cash points.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The possibility of a casino on North Broad Street, near Callowhill, is prompting a move in Philadelphia City Council to stave off new pawn shops, payday loan operations, and other shady credit businesses in that area.
Developer Bart Blatstein’s Tower Investments is one of five firms hoping to land the second Philadelphia casino license. Tower’s proposal is for a $700-million gambling emporium in the former headquarters of the Inquirer newspaper, at Broad and Callowhill.
City Council’s Rules Committee has now approved a measure driven by that proposal: a zoning overlay for the area bounded by Spring Garden and Callowhill, Broad and 18th Streets.
The committee chair, councilman-at-large Bill Greenlee, says the overlay specifically prohibits new businesses that would prey on gamblers.
“The communities involved really do not want to see these kinds of establishments — pawn shops, checking cashing agencies,” Greenlee said. “And also, with a possible casino coming there, that would not seem to be appropriate uses to be that close to a casino.”
While the measure prohibits new personal credit businesses in that area, existing ones would be allowed to stay, though they would be barred from expanding.
The measure now goes to the full Council for a vote. A decision by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board on the city’s second license is expected later this year.

Growth expectations

Between them, these three companies are expected to invest over $4 billion in new or upgraded facilities over the next five to seven years. The investment will be primarily focussed on attracting more Asian VIP gamblers to Australia and New Zealand instead of the increasingly popular, and geographically closer, Macau and Singapore hotspots.

Crown has the fullest growth pipeline with new casinos approved or planned for Sydney, Sri Lanka, and Tokyo, while it is also upgrading facilities in Melbourne and Perth.

Skycity is in the process of upgrading its Adelaide and Auckland casinos, and is planning to build a new Auckland Convention Centre. Adelaide and Auckland have long been two of the best-returning casinos in Australia and New Zealand. The upgrades should ensure these returns continue in coming years.

Similarly, Echo has announced a $1.5 billion plan to improve its Brisbane and Gold Coast casinos to boost VIP revenue. The investment involves building an integrated casino and resort at both locations and should be funded by existing cashflows and the recent sale of its Townsville casino.

Share market returns

Over five years, the performance of the three companies couldn't be more different. Echo shares are down nearly 50%, Skycity shares are up 70%, while Crown shares are up 140%. The share price performance mirrors Echo's inability to grow shareholder returns and lack of growth opportunities.

Outlook

The next key decision affecting all three companies will be the announcement in the next 18 months of the chosen builder for the new Brisbane city casino. All three companies have been shortlisted and if the tender is awarded to Skycity or Crown, I believe shareholders in Echo will see more share price pain.

Foolish takeaway

The share price performance says it all. Crown, with the best growth opportunities and some of the best placed and performing casinos, appears to be Australia's best casino company choice. The next best is clearly Skycity, which has the best performing casinos (from a return on capital standpoint) and some decent growth opportunities in Adelaide and Auckland, while Echo is lagging due to poorly performing casinos and a real lack of good growth options.

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Two employees of an Atlantic City casino restaurant were indicted yesterday afternoon for the theft from their employer of over $100,000, the theft accomplished by issuing payroll checks to non-existent employees over more than a 2- year period, Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced today.

On Wednesday, April 30, 2014, as a result of an 18-month investigation by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit, an Atlantic County Grand Jury indicted Jason Spurlock, 35, and Suzanne Adkisson, 35, both formerly of the 800 block of Ocean City, New Jersey, for Theft by Deception and Conspiracy, for the theft of $109,000 from the Il Mulino Restaurant, located in the Taj Mahal Casino, Atlantic City, NJ.

The State alleges that, between 2009 and 2012, while employed by Il Mulino Restaurant, Jason Spurlock, a restaurant manager, and Suzanne Adkisson, a restaurant administrator, conspired to have payroll checks issued to persons no longer employed by the restaurant, and deposited the checks into bank accounts over which they had control.

The Theft by Deception and Conspiracy indictments are 2nd degree crimes, carrying a potential penalty of 5 to 10 years of incarceration in State prison.

Bail has been set for both defendants at $50,000 cash full.

Spurlock and Adkisson have not yet been located and taken into custody.

Anyone with information about the case or the location of the defendants is asked to contact Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Financial Crimes Unit Detective Kimberly McColligan at (609) 909-7762, or Detective Sergeant Janet Larocca at (609) 909-7791. Assistant Prosecutor John Flammer represents the State in the case.

Casino Night was held on Friday, April 25, at Chapel of the Archangels in Beaver Dam.

Thank you to everyone who made this annual Big Brothers Big Sisters fundraiser a success. BBBS acknowledges these individuals and businesses that sponsored tables at the Las Vegas style event: UW Health Partners – Watertown; Winter, Kolman, Moter & Repp S.C.; Kirsh Foundry; Eaton Corporation; Fred and Cindy Gremmels; Women’s Affiliate Beaver Dam; and to Kayser Chrysler Center of Watertown for sponsoring the shuttle.

We are grateful to those who assisted with this event. Thanks to our board members, table players, Jim Hasey and Jimmy Walker at Chapel of the Archangels, Ronald Dombroski from Smokehaus Catering and the many businesses that provided prize donations. The generous support of people in our community helps us to continue in our mission of positively affecting children. Big Brothers Big Sisters hopes you can join us again next year.

For more information on our two mentoring programs and other upcoming events, go to www.bbbs.dodgewatertown.org or become a fan on Facebook at Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Dodge & Watertown.

Big Brothers Big Sisters is a non-profit organization sponsored by Dodge County and Watertown Area United Way.