In an effort to address food insecurity in New Jersey, the Casino Association of New Jersey (CANJ) has launched the Casinos United Against Hunger campaign in partnership with the Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ). Atlantic City casinos collectively are donating more than $170,000 to support CFBNJ’s mission.

“Ending hunger will take all of us stepping up to do more for our neighbors. Atlantic City casinos are coming together to form Casinos United Against Hunger, a new campaign dedicated to strengthening our efforts to combat food insecurity in New Jersey. By supporting important organizations like the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, we will help address hunger by providing meals to families throughout the state,” said Mark Giannantonio, president of the Casino Association of New Jersey.

The donation was presented at CFBNJ’s Night of 300,000 Meals on May 1, 2025, a culinary event that brings together local chefs, restaurants and community members to help provide 300,000 meals for neighbors in need. Chefs from Atlantic City casinos participated in the annual event.

“Atlantic County has some of the highest rates of food insecurity in the state. We’re grateful to the Casino Association of New Jersey for helping to honor the FoodBank’s 50th anniversary with their generous support and for uniting the Atlantic City casino community to help address hunger. Through this partnership, we can provide more meals to local families in need and make a lasting impact in the area,” said Elizabeth McCarthy, president & CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey.

In addition to the CFBNJ’s 50th anniversary, the partnership between the CANJ and CFBNJ comes at an especially crucial time given the level of food insecurity in New Jersey. Nearly 1 million people in the state, including more than 260,000 children, are at risk of hunger. Atlantic County, home to Atlantic City’s casinos, has some of the highest rates of food insecurity in the state, with 12.2% of residents and 17.4% of children affected.

The casinos involved in the Casinos United Against Hunger initiative – Bally’s Atlantic City Casino Resort, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Caesars Entertainment’s Atlantic City Resorts, Golden Nugget Atlantic City, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, Ocean Casino Resort and Resorts Casino Hotel – are joining a long-standing tradition of support for CFBNJ. Many properties in Atlantic City are longtime supporters of CFBNJ, and this collective effort demonstrates their commitment to addressing this critical issue. Through this partnership, CFBNJ will be able to distribute more meals to families in need, especially in areas that are most impacted. The $170,000 donation is a total of all financial, grant and in-kind contributions from each Atlantic City casino to the CFBNJ this year.

Action aims to safeguard Michigan players from unregulated, high-risk gambling practices

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has taken swift and decisive action against 13 illegal offshore gambling websites, which were found to be unlawfully targeting Michigan residents. The websites in question—Captain Jack Casino, Casino Brango, Ducky Luck Casino, El Royale Casino, Jazz Casino, Jazz Sports Casino Racebook, Looselines, Planet 7 Casino, Red Dog Casino, Royal Oak Casino, Silver Oak Casino, Skybook, and Slots of Vegas—were operating without proper state licenses, in clear violation of Michigan law.

The operators of these sites, based in jurisdictions including Curaçao, Costa Rica, and the Autonomous Island of Anjouan, have been issued cease-and-desist orders by the MGCB. The action comes as part of ongoing efforts to protect Michigan’s residents from unregulated gambling practices and ensure the integrity of the state’s gaming industry.

Protecting Michigan Residents from Illegal Gambling Risks “These illegal gambling websites put Michigan residents at significant personal and financial risk,” said Henry Williams, Executive Director of the Michigan Gaming Control Board. “Our priority is to maintain a secure and regulated gaming environment. These websites not only violate Michigan’s laws but also engage in deceptive practices that endanger consumers, including withholding winnings and imposing unfair wagering requirements.”

The websites, which allowed Michigan players to gamble using a variety of payment methods—such as credit cards, PayPal, and cryptocurrencies—engaged in dishonest practices, such as restricting withdrawals and demanding players meet high, often unreasonable, wagering thresholds before accessing their funds. This leaves users vulnerable to financial exploitation and undermines the fairness of the gambling experience.

In addition to financial risks, these offshore operators do not meet Michigan’s standards for responsible gaming, consumer protection, or data security, putting users at further risk of fraud and identity theft.

A Strong Message to Offshore Operators

The MGCB’s action serves as a firm warning to illegal offshore operators attempting to skirt Michigan’s legal framework. The cease-and-desist letters instruct the operators to cease all unlawful activities within 14 days of receipt. If the operators fail to comply, the MGCB will work with the Michigan Attorney General’s Office to pursue legal action against these entities.

How Michigan Residents Can Protect Themselves

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The MGCB strongly encourages Michigan residents to be vigilant and only engage with online gambling sites that are authorized and licensed by the State of Michigan. To assist players in identifying legal operators, the MGCB provides a list of approved platforms on its official website at Michigan.gov/MGCB.

Residents who suspect illegal gambling activity or who encounter suspicious online platforms are urged to report it immediately. Tips can be submitted by calling the MGCB hotline at 1-888-314-2682 or by emailing [email protected].

Commitment to Ensuring a Safe Gaming Environment

The Michigan Gaming Control Board remains unwavering in its commitment to preserving the integrity of Michigan’s gaming market. The MGCB continues to monitor the online gaming landscape closely to ensure all operators comply with state regulations and uphold the highest standards of consumer protection, fairness, and security.

“These relentless actions are part of our ongoing effort to provide a transparent and trustworthy gaming environment for all Michigan residents,” Williams added. “We will continue to take necessary steps to protect players and maintain the integrity of Michigan’s regulated gaming industry.”

Gambling in any form is for entertainment purposes only. If you or someone you know may have a gambling problem, contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER, text 800GAM, or visit www.1800gamblerchat.org. Help is available 24/7 and is free and confidential.

MixRift, a mixed reality (MR) gaming start-up today announces the launch of its third title, Crit Attack: a new MR arcade wave shooter game, developed to satisfy the need of three generations of gamers for immersive and engaging MR experiences.

Just in time for the holiday season, the game is easy and free to play, and is compatible with Meta Quest 3, 3S, Pro and 2. In-app purchases like upgrades and extra ‘lives’ are available to make the most out of the playing session, but players can also win these by playing the game for longer. With Cyber Monday just behind us, you can leverage Meta Quest’s deals and play Crit Attack with the family to defend your living room from a wave of monsters.

The combination of the game mechanic (arcade wave shooter), the graphics and the ease of picking it up make Crit Attack unique in the Meta Store, where the emphasis is on the more story driven, multiplayer, longer sessions. Powered by that growing market feedback for more ‘family-friendly’, less intense or graphic violence games, and a nostalgia for 80s and 90s games and entertainment brought to today, Crit Attack is a simple and casual game that anyone can intuitively understand how to use and play.

Bobby Voicu, MixRift’s CEO, commented: “By listening to our audience we noticed a nostalgia trend, driven by TV series like “Strange Things” or games like “Stardew Valley” and “Minecraft” with pixelated graphics. This enables the entire family to enjoy our games – the generation that first played games in arcades, the generation that played the early consoles and, finally, Gen Z and Alpha that can use their MR devices for a competitive and fun game.

The launch of Crit Attack underscores our vision to drive mass MR adoption and make gaming accessible to everyone by developing games that are easy for anyone to play, and deeply immersive. It’s the perfect gift for the whole family to enjoy – what better way to spend Christmas than uniting to fight a wave of monsters?”.

Key features that differentiate it from existing MR experiences:

‘Friendlier’ look and feel: The only MR game where arcade wave shooters are combined with the kind of graphics offered, for the entire family to play. The monsters are cute and annoying rather than scary, appearing in waves – making it a very fun experience for everyone.

Accessible, simple and easy user experience: Easy to pick up and play – simply pick up a controller and point the in-game guns at the monsters that come and try to invade your living room; even the “Play” button is a button you can shoot. Though simple to understand, the game can be a truly tactical experience.

“One more time” experience: The wave arcade shooter mechanic makes it the ideal game for short gaming sessions that players want to experience “one more time” according to user feedback, as with each time they understand what to do to get more monster waves destroyed.

Low time commitment required to play – a more casual experience, where you can play for a half an hour or less session.

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MixRift’s unique approach is centred on game mechanics, developing and releasing games that resonate with audiences, quickly rather than investing years in a single title.

Voicu added: “While the demand for MR experiences continues to grow, largely driven by tech giants like Meta and Apple, there’s a clear lack of high-quality MR games out there. We’re in the perfect position to tackle this because our flexibility lets us dive into unique game mechanics built specifically for MR. We’re not just making games—we’re pushing boundaries to create new kinds of interactive experiences, changing the way we engage with this technology in our daily lives.”

MixRift has been at the forefront of the MR/XR revolution since its inception, pushing the boundaries of seamless integration between physical and digital realms to create ‘wow’ moments for gamers. In August, MixRift raised £1.6M, primarily directed towards accelerating its game development efforts. The company’s additional games Hell Horde (MR Survival) and Fractured (MR 3D puzzle) are available on Apple Vision Pro and the Meta Quest. MixRift has an ambitious roadmap ahead, including a new, exciting  gaming title in Q1 2025.