Casino City’s Friday Five: Renovations, openings and jackpots edition

Headlining the gambling industry news this week is the announcement that the lavish Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City is undergoing a hotel transformation as part of a seven-year, $270 million investment. In addition, we had a pair of Las Vegas jackpot winners, a massive fine from the Dutch regulator, and a new dining concept at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.

Let’s begin with some big wins in Sin City:

5. The LINQ Hotel + Experience pays out $494,420 jackpot
On 13 April, Juliana won a jackpot of $494,420 when she hit a royal flush while playing Three Card Poker on her first hand of the morning at The LINQ Hotel + Experience.

The player was visiting from Southern California to celebrate her 12th wedding anniversary and planned on using the money to extend her trip and pay off debt.

Winning on the weekend! ?? ?? Congratulations to Juliana V. on her $494,420 MEGA Progressive Jackpot win playing Three Card Poker!

21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or text 800GAM. pic.twitter.com/Ejdsv7ozXN
— The LINQ (@TheLINQ) April 15, 2025

4. $1.5 million jackpot at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
Last weekend, a lucky player from California hit a jackpot at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas during the early hours of the morning on 12 April, winning $1,515,034.

The player was playing a Whitney Houston Slots game, and won the Platinum Progressive jackpot after wagering 300 credits.

3. The Farm Italy to open at Mohegan Sun
A new era of Italian dining is set to unfold at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut as Ballo Italian Restaurant undergoes a transformation. Continuing under the visionary leadership of restaurateur John Tunney and his culinary, design and operations team, Ballo Italian Restaurant will be reimagined as The Farm Italy.

The menu showcases a thoughtfully curated selection of handmade pastas and expertly prepared entrées, including:

- Branzino – A delicate filet, perfectly cooked and served with burro bianco, lemon, and broccolini.
- Pappardelle Bolognese – Fresh pappardelle pasta paired with a rich beef Bolognese and a dollop of fresh ricotta.
- Chicken Parmesan – A tender house-made chicken cutlet, coated in crispy breadcrumbs and topped with mozzarella, pecorino, pomodoro sauce, and fresh basil.
- Cacio e Pepe – The essence of Italian simplicity, featuring bucatini pasta, cracked black pepper, and aged pecorino.
- Double R Ranch NY Strip Steak – A 16-ounce prime steak, cooked to perfection and finished with a saba char.

2. Dutch gambling regulator issues €734,000 fine
The Netherlands Gambling Authority for the first time imposed a six-figure fine on one of its licensees because the company failed to adequately protect young adults against excessive gambling and gambling addiction.

According to the Ksa, gambling companies have a duty of care and must protect players as much as possible against excessive gambling and gambling addiction. The provider in question has not sufficiently complied with this duty of care and will be fined for this.

The Ksa launched an investigation after receiving signals about large losses suffered by young adults.

Guest rooms and suites to be transformed.

1. Ocean Casino Resort unveils hotel transformation
Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City announced over $50 million in property-wide capital investments planned for 2025. These new development projects are part of a seven-year, $270 million property transformation that Ocean has been implementing since its inception in 2018.

Ocean’s 2025 investment in its guest rooms and suites marks the culmination of a multi-year project to transform all 1,860 guest rooms and suites at the property.

In addition, the AC resort is opening two new restaurants in partnership with restaurateur Stephen Starr, who is lending STARR Restaurants' expertise on the conceptualization of the two venues. The multi-million-dollar concepts will be located on Ocean’s Lobby Level and are scheduled to open this summer.

As part of its ongoing upgrade of the casino experience, Ocean will introduce a larger polished Asian Gaming space by summer 2025.