January 20, 2020
TRUFF STUF/FLICKR/CREATIVE COMMONS
An advertisement-related error in the Waze app is directing drivers to a wildlife management area in New Jersey instead of the intended destination, the Borgata Hotel Casino & spa.
Users of the Waze navigation app may want to take extra precaution if they're planning a trip to the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City.
In a Facebook post Monday morning, the Jackson Police Department notified the public of a bizarre trend of would-be casino visitors getting stranded in the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area, about 45 miles north of Atlantic City.
Police are reporting a "tremendous increase" in disabled motor vehicles in the wildlife area, a 12,000-acre zone located in Jackson and Plumstead Townships.
"It has come to our attention that an ad was placed, in the WAZE navigation app, for the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa," police said. "Although the address on the ad lists 1 Borgata Way in Atlantic City NJ, which is correct, the location pinned with the ad is actually in the middle of the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area, near Lake Success."
Most of the Waze users affected by the incorrect address seem to be coming from New York and northern New Jersey, according to authorities.
"Currently, the app is sending motorists into the wildlife area, onto unpaved roads, which eventually lead to them becoming disabled," police said.
Waze has been contacted regarding the error, but authorities are reminding drivers to make sure they are heading to the right destination when using Waze.
"Please take extra care when selecting locations listed with the orange 'Ad' logo in the corner or places which have multiple names, with the same address, however are considerable distances apart," police said.
