Casino City’s Friday Five: Jackpots and multi-state poker edition

This week, a sixth member joined the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement for online poker in the U.S. In addition to that massive news, we also had jackpots hitting in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, a California casino expansion, and Boyd Gaming breaking ground on a new property.

Let’s begin with some big wins:

5. Hard Rock Casino in Atlantic City pays out six-figure slot jackpot
A lucky guest at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Atlantic City hit it big during Easter weekend with a $120,092 slot jackpot.

The guest made a $25 bet on a 50-cent denomination Thunder Drums slot machine.

4. Face Up Pai Gow Poker jackpot at Palms Casino Resort
Last weekend, a guest visiting Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas for the first time hit a rare Face Up Pai Gow Poker hand: a seven-card, jack-high straight flush in hearts.

The hand triggered the progressive jackpot, awarding more than $897,000.

3. Boyd Gaming breaks ground on Cadence Crossing Casino
Earlier this month, Boyd Gaming broke ground on Cadence Crossing Casino, the company’s newest property in southern Nevada.

Cadence Crossing will feature a casino entertainment experience with 450 slot machines and several food and beverage offerings. The property is scheduled to open in mid-2026, replacing Jokers Wild Casino.

Today, we officially broke ground on Cadence Crossing! ??

A huge thank you to Mayor Michelle Romero, the City of Henderson and to everyone who joined us for this unforgettable moment!

Learn more - https://t.co/Hg16uF7FxQ pic.twitter.com/Yx9D4qH9CA
— Boyd Gaming Corp (@boydgaming) April 3, 2025

2. Agua Caliente Casinos opens new casino expansion
Agua Caliente Casinos officially opened a new expansion to one of its properties, adding over 250 slot machines and more tables to the Agua Caliente Rancho Mirage in California.

The ribbon cutting marked the completion of additional gaming space and promotions areas, bringing the slot machine total to almost 1,800 at Rancho Mirage and over 3,400 across all three casinos - including many titles that are exclusive to Agua Caliente Casinos.

"The ribbon cutting culminates months of planning and construction and our commitment to providing an elevated gaming experience for our guests at all three Agua Caliente Casino properties," said Scheri, now in his eighth year with Agua Caliente Casinos. "This milestone is one more great accomplishment for the Tribe and further demonstrates their vision and foresight.”

1. Pennsylvania joins multi-state online poker agreement
On Wednesday, Governor Josh Shapiro signed an agreement accepting Pennsylvania as the sixth member of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement for poker.

This expansion of online gaming for poker creates more choice and freedom for an estimated 150,000 online poker players in Pennsylvania and expands the pool of online poker players by more than 50%.

The Commonwealth joins New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, West Virginia, and Michigan as participants in MSIGA, allowing the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to work with its online operators and the other state gaming agencies.

This expansion will also afford larger prize pools without requiring an increase in buy-in amounts.

Big news for Pennsylvania online poker players! Governor Josh Shapiro has officially signed the agreement for the state to join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA).

Starting April 28th, online poker operators will begin integrating their platforms, allowing… pic.twitter.com/aPz8EPhk7E
— Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (@PAGamingControl) April 23, 2025