Ospreys Find Home on TropicanaCasino.com Billboard

Nest of threatened birds will stay in place until fledglings fly the coop

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ – This is a story of birds, billboards and 90 Ball Bingo. As the online casino entity of Tropicana Atlantic City, TropicanaCasino.com recently launched the nation’s first licensed online 90 Ball Bingo game. It seems that players are not the only ones taking notice. A nesting pair of ospreys has selected a billboard advertising 90 Ball Bingo on the Atlantic City Expressway as the ideal place to raise their feathered family.

The osprey, sometimes known as the fish hawk, is one of New Jersey’s largest raptors. The osprey’s status in New Jersey is officially listed as threatened. This designation means that by law, the osprey nest cannot be moved or disturbed in any way while the birds are still actively using it. The billboard, #40021, is owned by Clear Channel.

“This is a first for us. When we said everyone would flock to 90 Ball Bingo, we had no idea that would include actual birds,” joked Steve Callender, General Manager of Tropicana Atlantic City.

Ospreys usually mate for life. Clutches of two to four eggs are incubated for about five weeks, and the young birds fledge in another eight to ten weeks. Primarily fish-eaters, ospreys prefer to build their large, conspicuous nests made of sticks close to water. The birds will use everything from tall trees to manmade structures including channel markers, duck blinds, utility poles and yes, even billboards.

“We don’t want to ruffle any feathers here,” Callender continued. “We won’t be changing our billboard messaging until the ospreys become empty-nesters and we get the official go-ahead.”