Record Jackpot Won
At Sands of the Caribbean

Somber Mood in Atlantic City - ATLANCTIC CITY - The games continued but the mood was expectedly somber among patrons at Atlantic City's twelve casinos after the airplane hijackings and terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. on September 11. "It's quieter than usual with everything going on," said a Resorts dealer. Sands spokesman Kevin McCarthy explained, "We've got some people with relatives who may have been in this mess. Some are very worried." To help in the aftermath, various casinos said they prepared blood drives, accommodated stranded airline passengers and guests who were unable to return to New York, and helped employees who wanted to pick up their children from school. Casinos were also quick to increase security after the attacks. "We have taken some enhanced security measures - some visible, some less visible - to protect the building, our guests and our employees," said Rick Santoro, senior vice president of corporate security and community affairs for Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts. Atlantic City's four Park Place Entertainment Corp. casinos also activated an "emergency action plan," said a company spokesman.

New Jersey Launches Self-Exclusion Program - ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - Starting this September 10, problem gamblers from far and wide can ban themselves from New Jersey casinos. When gamblers register for New Jersey's self-exclusion program, either in Atlantic City or in Trenton, they can choose between a one-year, five-year or lifetime casino ban. Participants' names, which are kept confidential, will then be removed from mailing lists so they do not receive complimentary offers and other promotional materials from the casinos. "Problem gamblers who make attempts to stop gambling have sometimes relapsed back into gambling because of promotional material they have received by casino marketers," explains Ed Looney, executive director of the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey. The self-exclusion program was made possible through the Council in cooperation with casinos, the Casino Control Commission, the NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement and state legislators. The State of Missouri has had a similar self-exclusion program in existence for the past few years, with over 3,000 people who have registered for the lifetime ban.