Ad on Waze app sends Atlantic City-bound motorists into Pinelands

An ad in the Waze navigation app is misdirecting motorists headed to Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa into the wilderness of New Jersey’s Pinelands, police said.

Jackson Township police posted on Facebook that officers in recent weeks have seen a “tremendous increase in disabled motor vehicles” who followed the directions into the Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area, where they became stuck on unpaved roads.

“The wildlife area is comprised of more than 12,000 acres, mainly located in Jackson and Plumsted townships, which is about 45 miles away from the actual Borgata Casino in Atlantic City,” police said. The Borgata is off the Atlantic City Expressway.

According to police, the problem stems from an orange ad logo.

“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.”

Police say to “take extra care” when selecting locations listed within the orange ad logo. Authorities say they’ve contacted Waze about the problem.

Waze collects real-time traffic and travel time information from users and relies on user generated information to generate turn-by-turn navigation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.