Smoking Allowed In AC Casino; Online Lotto & Death Threats From Sports Bettors
AC Casino News Sports Betting Updates
Smoking is once again allowed in Atlantic City casinos. While the pandemic put a pause on the pastime, as restrictions have eased, so has lighting up. That’s where we’ll start our weekly recap of the AC casino news, as well as around the country.
Smoking Is Once Again Allowed At Atlantic City Casinos
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic started, tons of casinos around the world started to limit and even ban indoor smoking. Those restrictions have eased this week as casinos in Atlantic City are welcoming it back. While many casinos have been pushing to allow indoor smoking again, others have taken the temporary ban as an opportunity to make it permanent.
Banning indoor smoking permanently is expected to have a heavy impact on casinos in the New Jersey area. There have been statements made from AC casino news advocacies that claim “Smoke-free casinos are good for business because guests want clean air.”
Even though smoking is making a return to casinos in Atlantic City, it doesn’t mean it will stay that way forever. In fact, New Jersey Sen. Joseph Vitale will continue to push for a permanent smoking ban.
Of course, the casinos would rather not force players to get up from the table and step outside for a smoke, though. There are many lawmakers in the state who believe that smoking will be banned sooner rather than later as the sentiment has shifted on smoking over the last 30 years and it’s clearly viewed as a detriment to the health of players in the casino.
Lotto.com Launching Digital Platform In New Jersey
While sports betting and casino gaming have moved online over the years, lotteries have been left behind in the dust. Well, that’s about to change as Lotto.com – in partnership with QuickChek – is trying to revolutionize the way customers play the lottery.
Lotto.com is launching the first digital platform where customers can buy lottery tickets online. That means they’ll be able to use desktop, mobile or any other type of smartphone or laptop to buy tickets. For the most part, this whole process has involved going to a store and getting a printed ticket, but Lotto.com aims to change that.
Lotto.com and QuickCheck are partnering to deliver the official state lottery tickets for now, which will allow people to choose the numbers for the lucrative drawings from the site. Currently, QuickChek has 138 stores in the Garden State where people can go in person to play but now they’ll be able to use the website to get tickets as well.
While they don’t have a solution for scratch tickets yet, this is a good solution for regular lotteries. It’ll also help cut down the fear people have of possibly losing a winning lottery ticket. Experts also say that this should be a more environmentally friendly approach in the long run.
Professional Athletes Receive Death Threats From Sports Bettor
Trolling on Twitter is one thing but Benjamin Tucker Patz took things to a whole other level.
California man, Benjamin Tucker Patz, faces up to 5 years for threatening #Tampa Bay Rays players https://t.co/GvOCsdECip
— Tampa Dispatch (@tampa_dispatch) March 14, 2021
‘Parlay Patz’ is a sports bettor who consistently sent hate towards professional athletes when he’d lose bets but it wasn’t just a meme or GIF here and there. He actually sent multiple death threats before eventually being reported to the police. The sports bettor was charged and has now pled guilty to his crimes, and has been handed three years of probation for his actions.
From what was reported, Patz sent threats towards players of the Tampa Bay Rays right after they lost a game back in 2019. According to one court document, one of his messages said, “I will enter your home while you sleep.” Another said, “I will cut up your family.”
Luckily, the prosecution didn’t believe that he would actually follow through on those threats, which is why Patz isn’t currently in jail. Patz has since apologized to every victim involved, including the family members of the players that he sent threats towards. He’s also going to seek mental help.
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