Casino City’s Friday Five: Jackpots, closings and violations edition

A historic horse racing venue is closing its doors before the year's end, marking the end of an era for the sport. Elsewhere in this week’s Friday Five, a lucky player hit a Mississippi casino jackpot for a life-changing $100,000, and another massive win saw an Atlantic City casino pay out a staggering $1.4 million to a fortunate gambler.

We also have details on Circa Sports’ "Empathy Package" for its Survivor contest and finally, in Michigan a man is facing charges related to alleged “fictitious” sportsbook deposits worth millions of dollars.

Let’s begin with a Mississippi payout:

5. Six-figure slot win at IP Casino Resort Spa
To kick off last weekend, a Mississippi resident struck it big with a winning jackpot at IP Casino Resort Spa in Mississippi on Friday, 13 September.

The guest, who wishes to remain anonymous, was playing Dollar Storm by Aristocrat Gaming when she placed a $7.50 bet. Dollars fell from the screen as the player landed a winning combination, totaling $126,555.

4. Ocean Casino Resort pays out $1.4 million jackpot
Meanwhile up north at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, a player from Morris County, New Jersey, won a $1,459,533 jackpot with a single $20 bet on the Dollar Storm slot machine.

The jackpot marks one of the most significant payouts in the casino’s history.

MILLION DOLLAR JACKPOT ??

One lucky customer from Morris County, NJ hit a jackpot for $1,459,533.97 with a $20 bet on Dollar Storm. A big congrats from our entire team! Who’s next?!? pic.twitter.com/mrhWrUejlH
— Ocean Casino Resort (@TheOceanAC) September 14, 2024

3. Michigan man facing eight felony counts for gambling violations
The Michigan Gaming Control Board announced that a Southfield man is facing eight felony charges related to gambling violations in the state.

In April 2023, Jeffrey Saco, 38, allegedly made more than $2 million in fictitious deposits into his Caesars Sportsbook account by exploiting a system vulnerability. He placed nearly 10,000 bets within 16 days, wagering more than $88 million. He then transferred more than $521,000 into his personal account before ceasing activity on the platform.

Saco was arrested by Lathrup Village Police on 4 September. On 5 September, Saco was arraigned in the 86th District Court in Traverse City, and released on a $500,000 personal bond. A scheduled probable cause conference took place on Friday, 13 September, and a preliminary examination hearing has been scheduled for Friday, 4 October.

2. Oldest US horse racing track set to close
Freehold Raceway in New Jersey announced that it expects to cease all live racing and simulcast operations as of 28 December. Employees and affected stakeholders were notified by track officials earlier yesterday.

“This was an extremely difficult decision, especially given the historical importance of Freehold Raceway to the local community and the New Jersey horse racing industry,” said General Manager Howard Bruno. “Unfortunately, the operations of the racetrack cannot continue under existing conditions, and we do not see a plausible way forward. We are incredibly thankful for our dedicated employees, horsemen and fan base for their support and patronage for so many years.”

The remainder of the approved live racing schedule for 2024 will be completed and daily simulcasting will continue until the closure date.

1. Circa Survivor Empathy Package released
Circa Sports has seen a record number of eliminations (73%) over the first two weeks of its professional football contest, Circa Survivor. Early let downs in the 2024-2025 season have led many football fans’ quest for the record-breaking $14,266,000 prize pool to an end. The sixth year of the contest has broken the record for highest percentage lost in the first two weeks of the season.

The Circa Survivor Empathy Package applies to anyone who lost all their entries in the first two weeks of the season. Contestants with one or two entries can redeem a two-night midweek stay at Circa Resort & Casino and a $0 minimum daybed at Circa’s year-round pool amphitheater Stadium Swim.

Contestants with three or more entries out in the first two rounds can redeem a three-night midweek stay at Circa and a $0 minimum daybed at Stadium Swim. Offers are only redeemable from 3 November through 26 December.

#CircaSurvivor Empathy Packages are now available for the 10,000+ entries eliminated in Weeks 1 and 2!@DerekJStevens joined @VSiNLive with all the details and you can sign up here
?? https://t.co/kUUVuPAERb https://t.co/olZJ3F1nXZ pic.twitter.com/MTP9B4iMV1
— Circa Sports (@CircaSports) September 18, 2024