New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy decided to provide Atlantic City with a $20 million grant. The funding is part of a $100 million initiative that will allow local municipalities to restore their boardwalks.

The money is a leftover from the American Rescue Plan and will see New Jersey take care of its signature boardwalks. Originally designed to prevent sand from getting inside nearby hotels, these boardwalks are now beloved tourist attractions.

The Atlantic City Boardwalk in particular is a historic promenade that is believed to be the oldest one in America. Spanning some 5.5 miles, it is also one of the largest boardwalks in the world. The repairs are expected to improve tourism and also bolster local casinos’ business.

The $20 million grant will allow Atlantic City to take care of deteriorating parts of the boardwalk. The repairs will see old decking and pilings replaced with better materials that will allow the structure to last longer.

Governor Murphy added that many locals have cherished memories at the boardwalks of the Jersey shore, which is why they’ve become a prized destination. He hopes to keep them that way by allowing communities to repair and maintain these wooden main streets.

The grant awards announced today are a meaningful step in preserving the health and dynamism of these special places.

Governor Phil Murphy

The AC Boardwalk Is a Lifeline for Local Casinos

The boardwalk is not only an important cultural asset but also an important economic driver, according to Jacquelyn Suárez, the acting commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.

The boardwalks are also very important to six of Atlantic City’s nine casinos since guests usually use the pathway to access nearby resorts. As a result, keeping these wooden streets in good condition is important to the city’s flourishing gambling industry.

For reference, the casinos dependent on the boardwalks include Bally’s, Caesars, Hard Rock, Ocean Casino, Resorts Casino Hotel and Tropicana.  

Speaking of AC’s casinos, the state continues to discuss whether the loophole that allows them to dedicate a part of their indoor space as a smoking area should be patched. While casino companies are concerned about potential losses, casino workers fear that the unhealthy environment is jeopardizing their lives.

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Less than two weeks have passed since a lucky winner from California hit the second-biggest jackpot from Powerball, a staggering $1.76 billion. After the jackpot prize was hit, it reset to $20 million and has been growing since. The grand prize survived the latest drawing which was on Monday after no one guessed correctly the five white balls, 18, 21, 25, 46 and 64, along with the red Powerball 21.

While the jackpot keeps growing it is expected to surpass $100 million for the drawing scheduled for Wednesday, October 25, 2023. With hours left until the new drawing, lottery players are likely preparing once again and hoping to win the grand prize.

The estimated $100 million jackpot prize can be secured by a player who correctly guesses all winning numbers and selects annual installment payments. If the lucky winner selects a lump cash sum that is also an option, but it would decrease the jackpot to approximately $43.4 million, still a life-changing sum.

The recent billion-dollar jackpot caught the eye of online users who questioned how is it possible for four out of the top five Powerball jackpots to drop in California. While the $1.76 billion marked the biggest prize, in November last year, again in the Sunshine State, the biggest Powerball prize dropped, a staggering $2.04 billion.

The Latest Drawing Sees More than 230,000 Winning Tickets

Monday’s drawing saw just above 230,000 winning tickets. Considering the number of winning tickets, it is likely that the billion-dollar jackpot attracted many more players. This comes in the context of having some 5.3 million winning tickets for the billion-dollar drawing, a staggering number when compared to the latest lottery draw.

Surprisingly, only one lucky lottery player secured a million-dollar prize from the latest drawing. Thanks to the Power Play prize, the player was able to scoop up $2 million after guessing correctly all white balls and paying extra for Power Play.

Five lottery players who guessed correctly four white balls and the red Powerball secured $50,000 each, while three collected a $250,000 Power Play prize from the most recent drawing.

Some 150 players guessed correctly four white balls, securing a $100 prize each. On the other hand, 61 lottery players guessed correctly four white balls and paid for Power Play, taking home $500 each.

As usual, the biggest number of winning tickets was within the lowest prize tier. Some 156,134 lottery players guessed correctly only the red Powerball, granting them a $4 prize each.

The post Powerball Jackpot Swells to $100M for Upcoming Drawing appeared first on Keno Wizard.

In a significant move to address gambling harm in New South Wales (NSW), the state government has pledged $100 million in funding for initiatives and services to reduce the industry’s harmful effects on communities. This commitment is a part of the first Minns Labor Government Budget, reflecting their long-term dedication to combating money laundering, implementing gaming reforms, and mitigating the social consequences of gambling.

The $100 million injection will encompass various areas, covering the most pressing issues. The 2024-25 financial year will see gambling harm minimization initiatives and reforms receive $21.7 million annually for three years. The recently introduced gambling reform panel will select worthy initiatives and distribute these funds accordingly.

The second most substantial portion of the funding, $10 million, will bolster the Responsible Gambling Fund through the Office of Responsible Gambling. The extra capital will support GambleAware’s counseling and support services, awareness and education campaigns, initiatives like “Reclaim the Game,” and cutting-edge gambling research. These will hopefully provide long-term reductions in problem gambling rates.

An additional $6.4 million will enhance self-exclusion programs and introduce third-party exclusions in pubs and clubs, providing individuals with more tools to control their gambling habits. The remaining $3.4 million will help facilitate the upcoming 12-month cashless gaming trial at select venues, paving the way for broader reforms.

These Initiatives Form a Broader Agenda

Since its election in March, the Minns Labor Government has undertaken several significant steps to address gambling-related issues in NSW. These efforts include banning political donations from clubs involved in gaming, launching an independent panel to oversee a comprehensive cashless gaming trial, reducing cash input limits for new poker machines, reducing gaming machine entitlements, and banning external gambling-related signage.

This extra funding was possible due to the substantial fines imposed on Star Casino by the NSW Independent Casino Commission (NICC). The financial boon to select initiatives should hopefully lead to a safer, more sustainable industry, offsetting the damage by the problematic operator. Such actions perfectly align with NSW’s rising focus on gambling harm prevention and will form the foundation for future changes.

This government has a clear focus and is committed to evidence-based reform.

David Harris, Minister for Gaming and Racing

Despite the NSW government’s efforts, years of ineffective regulations and lack of enforcement have caused significant gaming-related issues as gambling harm rates remain high. Remedying such deficiencies will be long and arduous, but recent initiatives show substantial promise. If the government remains steadfast with its planned reforms, it should achieve noticeable improvements.

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As a result, he is moving to greener pastures with Kick offering a better split and overall presence in the streaming space. xQc is joining to promote the type of content which he likes best, which includes online gambling, and admittedly get a better rate. 

His decision to join Kick is also incentivized by a $100 million price tag on the deal, which will last for two years. He has become the latest topflight streamer to disembark from Twitch, accusing the platform of ham-fisted policies and double standards.

Kick Beckons to Twitch’s Top-Performing Streamers 

As such, xQc is joining fellow content creators Amouranth and Trainwrecks who too made the switch to Kick recently. Kick is a brand new entry into the streaming space and one that is making very fast gains. The platform is a collaboration between Easygo Gaming and Stake.com, two online gambling companies, along with other partners.

Presently, Kick offers a massive 95% share split with content creators, which puts it well ahead of Twitch’s models. Some critics have said that Kick is focused on short-term customer acquisition but fails to properly communicate how it’s going to be profitable in the future or if it’s profitable even now.

Kick is openly burning through money to acquire some of the biggest streaming talents, but also maintaining a very strong focus on online gambling. xQc is not the best example of a gambling streamer, as he originally played League of Legends and Overwatch, before making the switch to online gambling.

A Firebrand Personality from the Very Get-Go

xQc briefly played at Dallas Fuel, an Overwatch League franchise, but was released over a series of offensive comments. He then embarked on exploring other forms of content, which is how gambling came into his sights. In a single year, he managed to lose $1.8 million, something he admitted himself.

However, the streamer remained fond of gambling and was unapologetic about confronted how he ended up promoting gambling content to all sorts of viewers who come to Twitch to escape gambling ads. 

Ultimately, xQc said that it was his stream and down to him to enjoy his favorite type of content. He called out Twitch on its ill-defined ban on gambling content while still letting some stars get away with promoting gambling. On June 16, xQc wrote that “the time has come” and revealed that he was joining Kick. 

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