Atlantic City Race
Course Sold for $13 Million
- OCEANPORT, NJ - The Pennwood racing consortium bought
Atlantic
City Race Course for $13 million in a sale that was
approved by the New Jersey Racing Commission on August
15.
The
sale, which also includes more than 400 acres near the
track, was approved during a meeting at Monmouth Park
in Oceanport. The closing is scheduled for Sept. 20.
The
consortium is a partnership between Penn National Gaming
of Wyomissing, PA, and Greenwood Racing, the parent company
of Philadelphia Park and several off-track betting sites
in Pennsylvania.
Pennwood
also owns Freehold Raceway, a harness track in Monmouth
County, and had leased Garden State Park in Cherry Hill,
NJ, until it was sold in December.
Ray Charles Comes To
the Gaming Floor
- LAS VEGAS, NV - Alliance Gaming Corp. announced on August
21 that its Bally Gaming and Systems business unit would
develop a series of interactive slot machines featuring
the likeness and music of popular entertainer Ray Charles.
Bally
Gaming is developing three games - Ray Charles' America
The Beautiful, What'd I Pay, and Ray's Jukebox - scheduled
for release by the end of the year. The games feature
video of Charles at the piano surrounded by the "Paylettes."
Under
terms of the agreement with Charles, who has been blind
since an early age, the games in the series will include
the option of offering audio-assist features and a Braille
button deck that will allow visually impaired players
the opportunity to experience the games.
"Independence
is a helluva thing, man," says Charles, "and we all appreciate
it. I know I do. So here's a device where I can use it.
I can go out and have as much fun as the next guy and
I don't have to depend on anybody else to do it. I think
that's great."